Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers.
Proverbs 17:6
Ann and I share three active, creative grandchildren. Then there are the other five grandchildren that we also share as our families have become so entwined over the years! Grandchildren are such awesome little people! You never know what will come out of their mouths next. I am always amazed at their artwork, the stories they tell, the songs they sing, the love they give, and the creative ways they play.
This past June, Ann and I lost our newest shared grand when little Samuel bypassed the sin and corruption of this world and went straight to heaven to live forever with Jesus. I’m not sure that the pain of his absence will ever leave, but love has a price, and sometimes that price is grief. This past weekend I went to his quiet little cemetery and saw his headstone for the first time. Etched in the cold granite are his perfect little handprints and footprints. Proof that he passed through this world, if only in transit.
But as we look back with grief, we look forward with joy to that next little one due to arrive this fall. Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. I find that it’s challenging to identify the season I am currently in and the purpose for it. There is a time to grieve and a time to rejoice. And sometimes they run on parallel tracks.
I find that to enter the Lord’s rest, I have to let go of the outcomes. Faith is just another word for trust. Trust. I must trust that my heavenly Father, who knows all things, holds us in the palm of his hands and is working all things for our good, even when I can’t see it. I can trust Him with this new life that He is forming in the secret place. I can live at rest and in peace.
God is teaching me how to live in the moment, to do the day, to let today’s “stuff” be enough, to not worry about tomorrow. It would be easy to look around at the world and wonder what will happen to my children and grandchildren. Will they be strong enough to withstand the winds that blow against us? But then I look at the Creator of the universe and see that HE is strong enough to hold us all.
It's kind of funny that we tend to think that we are teaching our grandchildren the great lessons of life, when really, it’s the other way around.
“I have no greater joy than to know that my children walk in the truth.”
3 John 4
My dear friend…
Debbie lives with her husband Larry in Germantown Hills, Illinois. They have five grown daughters and five grandchildren (with two others due soon). They enjoy hiking, traveling, and visiting their children and grandchildren.
(The picture of Samuel Ethan with Jesus was drawn by Debbie and given as a gift to Katie on her 40th birthday. It is entitled, "First Sight." I asked Debbie if I could use this with her blog as it has been such a comfort to all of us as it was for her as she worked on it.)
Comments
Post a Comment