My youngest grandson really enjoys pulling my reading
glasses from my face and giving them a workout.
Often I’ll put them precariously on his button nose only to have him
smile wide, likely due to seeing Grammy’s features suddenly magnified. Then he will reach slowly with his chubby
little hands and remove them to give them a good shake or two. Ultimately, he will put the earpieces in his
mouth and add to the striped design tiny marks with his adorable new
teeth. My daughter remarked last weekend,
“Mom, I hope you don’t mind teeth marks on your glasses.” And of course, I do not!! Her comment however did cause me to think
about my grandson seeing life through my lenses and chewing on my
perspective.
The next morning I put my glasses on, lenses blurred with
dried drool. While cleaning them I felt
the marks left by his tiny teeth, and meditated more on the importance of
fixing my eyes on Jesus for his sake as well as mine, for he will be strongly
influenced by my view of God, of life, of family, of the world. Ideally, he will taste and see that the Lord
is good as a young child through my lenses, and see Him magnified through my
outlook. Gazing long at Jesus will
result in glory shine on my face, radiance enhanced by years spent with Him,
sparkle in the eye that betrays knowing King of Kings. This is what I pray he sees in his Grammy
when he studies her face.
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| Jaxon's Grandmothers: Sherrie (Meme) and Terry (Grammy) |
I’m learning my perspective will also be altered by my grandson’s if I allow for that to occur. Just as his drool on my glasses blurred the sharp edges of everything viewed, so his innocent and simple viewpoint may in fact bring clarity to my vision, and free me of overanalyzing, critically judging, and taking things too seriously. Yes, the overlay of a child’s view on my aged eye, misshapen through years by disappointment, surely will teach me to see many things afresh and aright. I pray for humility to receive from my grandson(s), as a contact lens on my own eye, the correction needed to see life clearly.
Sometimes the Lord’s heart is seen best by all through a
shift in priorities, a change in plans.
Last Sunday He reset my agenda when my oldest grandson entered the
kitchen and suggested we make his Mom breakfast in bed. Seeing the fire in his eyes, I knew this was
to take priority over my going to the earlier church service I planned to
attend. While I made waffles, he picked
roses and dandelions to adorn his Mom’s breakfast tray – oh, and one extra
special rose for her to put in her hair!
He excitedly made her some chocolate milk in a stemmed glass, and
arranged her tray just so before carefully carrying it to her room. I followed with a tray for him and later for
myself, because he insisted we all eat together on her bed. He mentioned we needed to pray, and then told
me about a conversation he had with his babysitter on the subject of going to
heaven. She is an unbeliever, my nine
year old grandson a budding evangelist.
My first worship service of the day took place in bed with a breakfast
tray on my lap!!
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| Nelson and His Mom Lori |
Worshiping at Table,
