In these warm, sticky July days of Alabama sunshine, my son and I enjoy every opportunity to cool down. One of our favorite little summer activities has been the Eastern Shore Centre. We start with mommy-time in the stores and end with Logan-time in the fountains. We unload our small arsenal of water toys and he gets right in to the serious business of cooling down. Toys are flung, water’s sprayed, wet hugs are given, giggles ensue and inevitably, I’m soon splashed enough to cool down as well! During our most recent trip, Logan did more than just beat the heat. He mortared another building block into the erection process of his character.

While balancing a kickboard, two play cups and a beach ball in his arms, he accidentally bumped a smaller child to the ground. The smaller child instinctively ran to his mother. He called out to her with the biggest, saddest alligator-tears running down his plump pink cheeks. A little taken back by the traumatic scene, Logan stood wordlessly through the whole ordeal. I called my son over to myself. “Honey, what are you able to do to help that poor child feel better?”

“Apologize,” he quickly replied.

“Yes, good … and might there be anything else?”

He paused thoughtfully. He knew where I was heading with this. He knew that same little boy had been eyeing his prized Spider-man beach ball for quite some time leading up to the tragic little tumble. As my son stood in front of me — arms still full of toys — I could see how increasingly important his beach ball was becoming to him. As the question loomed, he held on to his little ball fiercely.

As his mommy, I could appreciate his predicament. I had given him that ball and, of course, I wanted him to have a great time with it. But in that moment, as I looked into his deep brown eyes, my loving focus was on his character. I saw an opportunity for him to make a hard right choice. This simple action of integrity and kindness far outweighed any temporary pleasure of ball play. It is in the refining fire of tough, but godly decisions that we are sculpted into something more closely resembling the Holy Lord we serve and adore. Choices are opportunities for good and actions are seeds sown for a fruit that our lives will later bear.

I watched his face as he wrestled between the “kind” thing and the “more convenient” thing. I didn’t say a word. I waited hopefully.

Finally, with a loving caress of his Spider-man beach ball, he said, “I can share.” He then skipped across the fountains bearing his beloved ball and offered it to the little boy with the tear-stained face. The child grinned brightly with arms stretched open wide, as Logan handed over his beach ball. With that, Logan threw me a quick thumbs-up and resumed his play. I nodded in his direction from across the way and smiled at him warmly beaming with pride.

In a small moment at the Eastern Shore Centre, I glimpsed a function of adversity, the heart of God and the wisdom of sacrifice. We have a Heavenly Father who’s loving focus is on our character. He provides us opportunities to make right decisions and encourages us to choose holiness over convenience; goodness over self-gratification. Sometimes we’re called to decisions that require sacrifice. Sometimes they require selflessness. But, each time we make a decision for the good and the holy, we mortar another building block in the erection process of our character. There is treasure in the chisels of difficult decisions that refine us to the glory of God.

So, what will we do with our best beach balls? As we stand before our Father with arms full of trying dilemmas, how will we respond? Temptation will come and go, but this we can be sure of: Not one godly sacrifice will be overlooked by our Heavenly Father. He sees every step in the plight of His children and cares deeply about their character’s development. As we make the hard right decisions, we can imagine His kingly nod and warm smile beaming at us from across the way.

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.” (2 Chronicles 6:9a, KJV)

Liz Miller lives in Daphne with her husband Matt and son, Logan. She looks forward to responding to your thoughts, prayer requests and guest speaker invitations, please write to millerfam3@hotmail.com.