J.C. Derrick: Adventures in parenting

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Thursday, September 20th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from member-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. J.C. Derrick is here now with another installment of adventures in parenting.

J.C. DERRICK, MANAGING EDITOR: Recently I told you how my two sons, Rowan and Eli, have been praying for a baby sister. And—quote—“very lots of snow.”

Well, those are ongoing requests, but in recent days the list began expanding. The boys also asked God for a kitty cat and a puppy dog. Then a turtle. And a monkey.

Hmmm. Suddenly a baby sister started to look like one of the simpler requests.

Then earlier this month a friend had a kitten show up in her carport. Her husband is allergic, so she put out a call on social media. Amy saw it, and few days later, we arrived at our friend’s house to pick up a little gray fur ball. We named him Nickel.

Amy and I felt great about this answered prayer for the boys. But I knew we were in trouble when, on the drive home, Rowan made an announcement: “I think we’re going to be very curious with Nickel.”

Oh, boy.

Now Amy and I have a growing prayer list—namely for Nickel’s survival. Despite their professed love for the kitty, the boys have tossed him in the dirty clothes hamper, locked him in a bird cage, and stuffed him into a toy garbage truck.

Two-year-old Eli has perfected the one-armed football hold for carrying him around the house.

Nickel has become a constant reminder of how I’m not in control. And I don’t like that very much.

See, I like things to run on my schedule, in my way. I want a manageable existence—even predictable. That’s how I can maintain maximum productivity, I reason.

And when things go off the rails? Let’s just say patience isn’t something that comes naturally to me. And anger is far too quick to rear its ugly head.

Yesterday it occurred to me that I’d actually been praying about these very issues in my life. So, come to think of it, maybe God was answering more prayers than one when He sent us our new furry friend.

For WORLD Radio, I’m J.C. Derrick.

(Photo/J.C. Derrick) Eli and Nickel.

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