Lessons from My Granddaughter

I am not sure that I file this one under a ‘Merry Heart/Laughter’ or ‘Serious Moments’? When it comes to grandkids and what their perspective on their world is… it is hard to know at times.

The Setting…
This week with the kids being off from school in our area, two of our grandkids decided to go visit their cousins. The Peterborough grandkids went to see their Whitby cousins. Emma and Clifford went down to join Jonathan, Thomas, Michael and Christopher for one full week.

Emma is 7 years old and this is her first time away from home for this long. We figured that she would do well with any possible homesickness for mom and dad in that she is with her cousins and brother. Go figure, the second day she called and said she wanted to come home – she missed home too much. (The kids had stayed up very late the night before – the tiredness had taken a toll). After a talk with mom she decided to give it another try.

Last night was the fourth one away from home. She called to talk to mom and described the following when asked how she was doing…

“I am okay during the day when we are doing things. When I get ready for bed and then crawl under the covers I start thinking about home… I feel homesick. I started to miss my family and then I said to myself… ‘Suck it up Princess!’… and then I went to sleep.”

When our daughter told us what Emma had said, we couldn’t stop laughing. I experienced a Merry Heart at that moment. This one will tickle the thoughts for a long time.

Warning… The ‘Serious’ approaching…
When I settled down… the depth of what this 7 year old has stated is perhaps what a world needs to hear.

When circumstances around us are not what you wish they were how do we react as adults?

I can’t tell you how many react negatively and how much they will not take responsibility in their world.

I can tell you oodles of stories of the pain that people have with their lives and how they drop it on others to make themselves feel better. I have watched for years as people have dropped their anger, their loneliness and their sadness on others to try to get a better feeling.
I have also learned that this transference doesn’t work. Instead of one person feeling bad, two feel rotten, and then three with possibly a whole group going down with an attitude that no one needed or asked for.

“Whoa Pastor… I don’t always feel good… but I don’t drop my problems on others either!” is a common response to questions about this area. If we took a good look… the realities may be greater than the personal perception. We all do it – let’s be honest. If we haven’t done it this week – we may have it happen next.

‘Suck it up Princess!’ – profound in so many ways…

In the Bible there is a powerful story of Job… you know the guy that had it all and lost it all. The story of Job is one that few will ever really know with his many losses and trials. Still fewer will come out the other side the way he does. The most powerful part is the fact that God is there all the time with him… and then not so gently steps in to talk with Job toward the end of the account…. Just about the time most would finally give up and walk away.

Job 38:3-5 (With God addressing Job - New International Version)
3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.
4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?

Suggestion… perhaps in 2007 we all need to take a look at this beautiful old book of Job. What a setting for a fresh look at problems and at God.

Pause…
A long time ago, in the early years of my ministry – 1974 - 1977, I visited often in a senior’s residence in Walkerton, Ontario. One lady that I met left the deepest impression possible. Her name was Mrs. Dickson.

Mrs. Dickson didn’t have many visitors – her family lived a long ways from her.

She was racked with pain all the time. The arthritis in her every joint made any movement almost impossible without much excruciating pain. I watched as the nurses tried to make her more comfortable with a gentle turning of her body.

She cried but never once was angry or complained.

Together we sang a simple song. The words simply stated,
“His name is like an ointment poured forth,
a fragrance rare of infinite worth,
His name is like an ointment poured forth,
His wonderful, wonderful name.”

Then at the end of the singing Mrs. Dickson would quietly say ‘Jesus’ with tears running down her face.

Such grace… a real princess of the Lord.

~ Pastor Murray ~