Paul is 13, Part I

Paul hit a milestone at the end of September.  In our family, we make a pretty big deal of 13th birthdays.  As parents, we want our kids to know that there comes a time in one's life when the business of becoming an adult comes to the fore front.  Fun is certainly not to be eliminated from one's life, but this world is not a playground, it's a battle ground and the time of the teen years should be redeemed, not squandered.

 Each of Paul's two older sisters received cedar chests for their thirteenth birthdays, so Matt and I found ourselves in a bit of a quandary when it came to deciding what to give our firstborn son.  Matt put a lot of thought and prayer into what we should do for the birthday celebration.  After all, Matt knew a precedent would be set for Paul's four younger brothers when they each turn 13.

Matt finally settled on giving Paul an old Army trunk (correct term--footlocker) that was from Paul's great-grandfather, who served in the Korean war.  We ordered a few things to put in the trunk, including a couple of books.  The Pilgrim's Progress is a family favorite and The Wealth of Nations is a book Matt thought would be good reading for a boy who is on the road to manhood.

We had the birthday party at our church so that we could accommodate a larger crowd.  Our pastor, friends, Paul's grandmas and grandpas, godparents and a great aunt and uncle attended.  We started the evening with a dinner of Paul's favorites--ham, cheesy potatoes, his sister's homemade rolls, salad and green beans (which Paul didn't care about, but his mom did).  For dessert we had a traditional family celebration cake, Texas sheet cake.

We then had a time of blessing and worship.  We started with prayer and the singing of  "Holy, Holy, Holy."  Matt then gave a talk on 1 Corinthians 11:7--"For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man."  and 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 " Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Let all that you do be done in love."

I gave a little talk on Hebrews 11:24-26--" By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward." 

Matt asked each of the guests to bring a Bible verse for Paul to the party.  These were read aloud and then the footlocker was presented to Paul.  Paul's Great Uncle Keith also added a piece of advice he received from his father (my Grandpa Paul):  "Don't marry a woman for her money, but don't hold it against her either."  Matt requested that every man who attended write a letter to Paul about manhood. These letters were gathered and put into the footlocker, along with the Bible verses.   

Paul's two older sisters then presented Paul with a brand new Bible with his name inscribed on the front cover.  Part of being a man, Matt said, is learning how to properly handle the Word of God.  So Matt had Paul read Psalm 19 to those in attendance.  We then ended the evening by singing one last hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."

 Although the evening was a bit overwhelming for Paul, I know he enjoyed it.  He was especially touched that his Grandma Jane, despite being in extreme pain from a broken back, made the long trek down to be at his party (and to Grandpa Tom, who got her there).  Both Matt and I were touched at the outpouring of support for Paul and the time and effort folks put into picking their Bible verses and writing their letters.  I was especially thankful to our friend, Peggy, who helped set up for the dinner and for my mother-in-law, who helped clean up after the party (and for my father-in-law, who made the beans that Paul didn't want).