Best Thing Ever!

I’m not particularly impressed with my new stove. I didn’t get the fingerprint proof kind, and I think it’s going to be a pistol to clean. But it’ll do until I break it.

But you want to know the best thing about it?

The box it came in!

When the delivery men came, I hurried to the man who was unloading it. Ronald tried his best to dissuade me, but I begged the man to let me keep the box and all the packing. There were many components that had the potential to be –

who knows what?

There is a child’s book I love. Christina Katerina & the Box is about a mom who got a new refrigerator and her daughter who claimed the box it came in. Day after day, Christina Katerina and her friend, Fats Watson, found new adventures as they modeled the refigerator box into many things including a pirate ship, a ballroom, a castle, and a clubhouse.

Being an imaginative person who loves to pretend with kids, I could never throw away an appliance box. The girls and I had hours of fun with tea parties and puppet shows using boxes for our stage.

Unless ‘the littles’ (as we call Missy’s kids) come to visit, I’ll be playing with the three youngest of Tep’s. We gassed up the paintball canisters the other day, and I am set for bear! I’m going to get a few new arrows this week. I don’t know how the arrows at my house get so beat up, but they don’t seem to last long. But who cares? We are gonna have us some fun! We’ll use the box until it is plum full of holes or completely covered with bright pink paint balls. Or until Ronald sneaks out and puts it in the garbage!

Call me a hoarder if you must, I just call myself – well, I’m not sure what I’m self-identifying as this week. But when my kids get here, I may pretend to be Dale Evans or Annie Oakley. Ronald gets to be Yosemite Sam!

This is a stretch, but you know me. I have to find a related Bible verse.

Romans 12:6  We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us.

1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect your gift.

Yeah. I know. God wasn’t talking about having fun here or hoarding boxes for paintball. But maybe He doesn’t mind me thinking my gifts of creative mischief and leading the little ones to enjoy the simple things in life are worthwhile.

Blessings

Kara Beth