Friday, August 03, 2007
Minutes with Marylou
I'm going to leave our tour of Israel for now and tell you a little about July and August at our house and our grandchildren.
The Bible tells us in Psalm 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Jesus also said in Matthew 19:14 Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Being a parent or a grandparent brings with it a lot of responsibility. I always wanted to be a mother and a grandmother. I want to be a godly one and a good one. I knew mothers were a strong influence on their children, but I don't think I realized just how much of an influence a grandparent could have on the grandchildren. I know now!
Well, I want to be obedient to the Lord, so I suffered the little children to come for a visit this summer. One of my granddaughters, Abbie, age 12, came from North Carolina for two and a half weeks. Since she was here in Florida, two of our grandsons, who live in Ocala, wanted to see their cousin. So I invited them to come for a week. Now, when I take Abbie home, her sister, Allie, age nine, will return with me for a week. This will be her first time away from home without her mom.
Having two twelve year olds and a fourteen year old around the house, around the clock again, needless to say, was interesting. They are cousins who don't see each other often. Still they have this need to show off to each other, pick at one another, and at times, just be disagreeable with one another.
Oh, another thing Pastor and I had forgotten was just how much pre-teen and teenagers can eat. I have spent most of the time grocery shopping and cooking..........but they just don't seem to "fill up"!!! We notice that they seem to eat SOMETHING about every 30 to 40 minutes. Popcorn is a cheap and great snack! Just in case you need help.
Because of all the company, yes, I am tired. However, I realize the ungodly schools they attend will be starting soon and they will return home. I'll not be able to see them for awhile. I would like to have a spiritual influence on them while they are here.
They love to sit around and look at old photo albums and have you tell them stories about their mom or dad or both. So, we turn off the tv, computer, and other games and spend time talking. They seem to love this, so I take advantage of their attention to also talk about the Lord, the church, their lives in general, what they should be thinking about, and how they should be preparing themselves as they go back to home and school.
Grandparents, God will give you the wisdom you need just when you need it if you will take the time to do the same thing with your grandchildren. Turn off the tv and other electrical toys. Sit around with them and just talk and let them talk. Don't do all the talking yourselves, let them talk and express their feelings. You will find them receptive to you, to the Lord, and the word of God. Remember, you are their grandparents. They love you as no one else. They will have confidence in what you say. Be careful that you don't lecture. Be tactful and have a good attitude, even if they don't respond just as you think they should. Remember they are the child and you are the adult. Oh, what an awesome and wonderful responsibility we have. You may be just the one that changes their outlook on something this summer, so much that when they go back home and to school things will be better and different for them.
Life is different for them and Satan is throwing temptations at them that you and I, from different generations, didn't have to contend with in our lives. Pray daily for your children and grandchildren. Make a difference in their lives through your testimony. Be longsuffering and understanding. Isn't the Lord that way with you and I?
God bless your summer,
Marylou Dean,
Pastor's wife
