Tag Archives: grandchildren

Send a Love Letter

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“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (NIV)

Send a Love Letter

I’m lucky, but I have to remind myself that I’m lucky. I’m lucky because my grandsons only live four hours away from me. I have to remind myself I’m lucky because my grandsons live FOUR hours away from me! Four hours means I miss some of their firsts, I can’t just drop in to share MiMi hugs, or sit with them in church every Sunday.

In between visits I like to write and send the boys letters as reminders of my love for them and to show them that even though we’re not together, I’m thinking of and treasure them. If I’m being honest, I also send them just to be sure my little grands don’t forget me while we’re apart.

Have you ever noticed that God also sends us love notes when we’re feeling far away from Him? Whether through Scripture that takes on new meaning, the words and actions of others, or something in nature that takes our breath away, He reminds us of His love, that we are precious, and always on His mind. God doesn’t want His children to forget Him!

When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone just to let them know how much they mean to you? More importantly, how long has it been since you’ve been in touch with the One who loved us first and is never too far away to be part of our everyday lives? I don’t know about you, but it’s time for me to correspond with Him, sending my gratitude as a reminder of MY love.

This is Day 7 of the 10 Day Writing Prompt Challenge hosted by @fiveminutefriday Today’s prompt is: SEND.

“Give thanks to the God of Heaven. His love endures forever. “ Psalm 136:26

MiMi’s Love

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“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NLT)

MiMi’s Love
For Carson and Owen 

He puts his little hand in mine, 
all the world is right. 
I don’t want him to change too fast
and so I hold on tight. 

His face is full of wonder
at everything he sees.
There are no more precious times
than days I spend like these.

Stories, jokes, and secrets to tell
that MiMi’s only know.
Songs to be sung, prayers to be said,
such a miracle to see him grow.

I thought I understood all about love,
but I didn’t have a clue.
Until they laid him in my arms
and suddenly then I knew.

A MiMi’s love is fashioned from
the love of God’s own son. 
Given freely as a gift
to each and every one. 

What a privilege it is to share
a love so divine
With the one who has my heart
and puts his hand in mine.

Hold ~ 7/31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes

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I am continuing with 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com

where I’m writing for five minutes on a prompt each day in October.  I’d love for you to follow along with me on this journey or better yet, join in!

Time starts now!

“If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139:9-10 (NIV)

There’s a line in the song “Sound a Dream Makes” by Gordon Mote that says: “Just when you think a quiet house is where the story ends, your baby has a baby and the dream begins again.” It’s so true!  I am now a “MiMi” and I love every minute of it…well, almost every minute. It’s hard to watch the bumps and bruises, the needed discipline, learning the hard way, and the disappointments all over again.  I just want to hold my grandsons’ hands to keep them safe and let them know I’m always here when they need me!

Do you know something?  That’s what God wants us to know about Him too!  No matter where we are or what we’re going through, we can find comfort in the fact that we’re not alone.  Bumps and bruises?  You bet!  Disappointments? Part of life for sure. But, as much as I cherish my precious grandchildren (and I do); God treasures each one of us so much more!

Feeling those little hands cradled in mine causes my heart to overflow with love and I don’t want to let them go. Unfortunately, as much as I want to, I can’t be with my grandchildren every step of the way; but I know someone who can.  God is waiting for them (and you and I) to reach out and hold tightly to His hand that will “guide”, “hold fast”, and with unending love never let us go.

Time’s up!

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A Divided Heart ~Wise Wednesday 6/28/17

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“When a child is born, so are grandmothers.” ~Judith Levy Pixabay

Divided: separated; shared; to diverge; cleave………..

I have decided that being a grandparent causes you to suffer from a “divided heart”. Beginning at the instant you learn your child is having a child, it’s as if a magnetic force immediately draws your thoughts, dreams, prayers, and overwhelming love in the direction of that tiny, beating heart, hidden from the world. 

Fast forward to that breathless moment when the miracle that will call you “MiMi” (replace this with whatever your grands call you or will call you) is placed in your arms.  Everything else fades away. Cradling this precious armful, older heart to brand new heart, it seems they beat in unison, filling a place you didn’t know was empty, and nothing is ever the same again.

Time is both precious and tormenting. The longer you want to savor the sight, breathe in the scent, and caress the tiny fingers and toes of this new person in your life; the faster the minutes, hours, and days seem fly by. All too soon you’re faced with saying goodbye. Your stomach clenches.  Tears flow.  A heart divides.

A temporary condition?  Afraid not. A one time thing? Nope! Carson is two now: my heart?  Still  pulled in different directions.  We’ve recently been blessed with Owen: my heart? The chasm has grown.   The struggle is real! While my very being wants to wipe every tear, experience every milestone, calm every fear, and read bedtime stories every night with my grandsons; I’m also drawn home. My normal: the routine, responsibilities, schedule, and those that wait for me, beckon. Yes, a heart divided….wanting to cling to one place while yearning for the other.

Pondering this heart situation, it has occurred to me that we suffer in a similar way as Christians.  

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Colossians 3:1-2 (NIV)

Above?  Earthly Things? Earthly things? Above? A heart divided! I  often find myself torn between a heart that is focused on me and my wants and one that is looking to follow God’s plan for my life. Maybe you do, too. And while we want to be home with Christ, where our fears will be calmed and our tears wiped away; to get there, we are faced with saying goodbye to THIS home. We cling to our earthly life and yet yearn for Heaven. Thank goodness God sent Jesus to bridge the gap of our broken hearts! Jesus said:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.” “I am the way the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:1-4, 6-7 (NIV)

I wasn’t prepared for the powerful love that comes with being a grandparent. I’m blessed to only live four hours away from the boys and technology helps keep us connected in-between visits.  Goodbyes will always be hard. As my heart continues to pull me in different directions, I pray it reminds me to always stay connected to the One who, with the greatest love of all, is preparing a place for me where my heart will be divided no more.

 

 

 

 

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Wise Wednesday ~ 3/8/17

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“Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”‘
Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

Time With Carson

My soul can get weary.  Been there? For me, it’s the striving I think.  Maybe it’s the same for you or maybe something else takes its toll on your soul. No matter how it gets that way, having a drained soul weighs you down. Joy is hard to find. Peace seems out of reach. And the energy to love as we should? Not there, disconnected, out of order.

I found myself in just such a place not too long ago. While blessings abounded around me, inside that most sacred place I felt hollow. It’s not that I’m ungrateful for all I have or don’t recognize God working in my life: I am and I do.  It may be those very things that shout and echo against the walls of my tired soul; “God has abundantly blessed you so Do more! Be more!” And then I don’t……I’m not…..My soul sighs.

It so happens that at the very time my soul felt depleted, I was privileged to babysit my wonderful grandson, Carson!  It may have appeared that I was taking care of him, but from milk and Mickey first thing in the morning until bedtime stories and goodnight prayers at the end of the day, Carson was mending my soul.

“And he said:  “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 (NIV)

Who’d have guessed that playing at the park, throwing sticks in a pond, or a walk along the creek would revive my tired soul? I watched as he stooped low to get an up close look at moss growing on a rock, spotted a bird gliding high across the sky, laughed at leaves on the wind, nestled in a pile of well loved blankets to fall asleep, and when afraid to go down the slide alone? He kept his eyes on me, let go of the sides, and sailed down into my waiting arms!

“Change and become like little children.” My time with Carson reminded me to: like him, engage in the world around me, find joy in little things, rest in the knowledge that I am loved, and most importantly:  to take my eyes off myself, loosen the grip I have on wanting control, and trust that even when I’m not sure what’s waiting for me; I know WHO’s waiting for me!

Children really DO heal our souls if we’ll only watch, listen, and learn to humble ourselves to become more like them.  Of course, this MiMi thinks Carson is the cutest, smartest, strongest, most talented child of all! (I’m sure you know one of those too!) When he puts his little hand in mine and looks up at me with his perfect tiny toothed grin my heart overflows with unconditional love and I want nothing more than to be sure he knows he’s treasured! And isn’t that just like God? He waits for us to put our hand with childlike wonder in his, look to him, and to know without a doubt that we are precious and loved.  To become more like a child, HIS child……now that’s refreshing to the soul!