“Not again.”

For the second time I’m confronted with the situation of being locked out. The instances were years apart but still that sensation of helplessness washes over me. Both times my son came to the rescue.

My hands full as I headed out the door. My friend Vivian was parked in the driveway waiting to take us Bible study. I was bringing the snack so my absence on this day would be noticed.

The kids, not realizing I needed to go back in the house, slammed the front door shut. My keys and purse were inside the house.

Flash back to this morning. I promised my husband Dave, I wouldn’t disturb him at work as he was up to his eyeballs in a huge project.

“Not even if there is a death in the family.”

He alone was in charge of a massive rearrangement of the entire plant, all the while never stopping production of their workload.

Against my promise I called an SOS to Dave. “I’m sorry but there is nothing I can do, there are men standing around me waiting for instruction.”

Now what?

I encouraged Vivian to go ahead to study with the snack. We would figure something out. But she insisted on staying to see us through this dilemma. I learned this is what friendship looks like.

Have I mentioned to you how resourceful my son is? Like his father, he’s a thinker. Jamie analyzed the problem and came up with a solution.

“I’m going to go through the basement window. That way I can come upstairs and unlock the door.”

“Hon, you can’t do that. The only way to get in is breaking the glass and you could get cut and hurt falling down to the floor,”

“No mom, I think I can do it without breaking the glass.” Did he know something about gaining entry to the house that I did not?

Mission accomplished, and we were on our way.

The second instance took place several years later when Jamie discovered the shed locked with his bike inside. He needed to get newspapers delivered. Except his father had the (only) key in his coat pocket. Again at work. There was nothing we could do until he came home.

Jamie had raided his dad’s toolbox. The next thing I know, he is unscrewing the hinges off the shed.

“Jamie, what are you doing, you can’t do that?”

“Mom, I thought about it and this is what dad would do.”

How do you argue with logic like that? The kid is his father’s son. They were cut from the same mold, thinking outside the box. Also known as problem solvers.

I’m proud of our boy and grateful for the impact his dad has on him. Parents have a role to play in teaching their young. But thank you Jesus, for supplying a learning mind and teachable heart.