It’s that time of year again. My little Leprechauns are plotting the demise of their kinfolk on their annual visit to our house. It is hilarious to watch my nine and ten year olds, both redheads themselves and looking very like their nemeses, create elaborate traps. This will be the year that my children finally catch those pesky Leprechauns!
I think the Irish roots are especially strong in my nine year old. He is a wonderful, rambunctious, energetic little boy who drives us all absolutely crazy! And it doesn’t bother or dissuade him one iota when his siblings get frustrated with him. He just happily bounces away, off to irritate the next sibling.
In preparation for St. Patrick’s Day, I looked up some Irish sayings. As I read through them, the philosophy of my ancestors came through, again reminding me of my son. Despite difficulties that he encounters in his life, he always bounces back cheerful and ready for the next adventure. One saying in particular reminded me of him:
May your heart be warm and happy
With the lilt of Irish laughter
Every day in every way
And forever and ever after.
My son has been blessed with a warm and happy heart, which he gladly shares with those around him. I love that about him and honestly seek to grow my own heart in this way. God has done an amazing transformation of my heart over my life, slowly turning it from a heart of stone into a heart of flesh that (I hope) more closely resembles God’s own heart for me. This change has not always been easy, honestly most of the time it has been painful, but God has used that pain in transformative ways and there has been joy on the other side.
The mean little Leprechauns of negativity still show up every now and then to try to sabotage the softening of my heart. In those times the example my son sets has helped remind me that life doesn’t have to stay dark and gloomy. Rainclouds produce rain, which make rainbows and according to my son, there are pots of gold at the end of those!
May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
That pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you. ~Irish Blessing
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26
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