It is "Spring Break" here this week. And what that means for a preschool family is a complete loss of all things that bring order and schedule. Throw in a time change and we have chaos! This morning we all overslept, then dragged around attempting to pull ourselves together for the one thing on our to-do list, storytime at the local library.
With Emma still on last week's time schedule, I thankfully had extra minutes on my hands after getting the older ones fed and dressed. Then the phone rang. I recognized the number and paused to consider answering it. I am thankful I did.
My grandma called.
Grandma McLaren is 90 years old and lives in an assisted living center in southwest Iowa. She occasionally calls me on accident, since my name is the first on her cell phone contact list. Today's accidental call was a real blessing to my day. I enjoyed 45 minutes of visiting, sharing stories, and hearing of the health struggles she has recently faced.
After retelling a very difficult and frightening situation she recently endured she paused and said, "You know, God sure did take care of me."
That's how I want to grow old. If God grants me to live long enough to lose my license and be moved into a nursing home, I want to be able to hold in my heart the truth that God takes care of me. So often, older people struggle with anger and bitterness from years of unresolved issues. But Grandma is so thankful. Yes, she has moments of frustration. And yes, as she told me today she sometimes wants to yell at people who don't treat her like an adult. But she is thankful. She is thankful for her children who work together and discuss everything before making decisions on her behalf. She is thankful for falling in the middle of the night because it caused the doctors to find the severe infection in her inner ear that may have taken her life. And most of all she is thankful for her Lord who took care of her through it all.
Would you like to grow old in a graceful way? Old age brings to the surface what we attempt to hide in our hearts for years. But the Bible, the Word of God, doesn't let us keep things hidden. Grandma has faithfully read her Bible for decades and allows God to show her the hidden things of her heart that need refining. And now the years of her faithfulness are showing through in a heart of thankfulness.
What a blessing!
ReplyDeleteI can’t think of anything tougher in life. We really won’t know until we get there.
ReplyDeleteBeing alone after all you gave and losing control of your own life. To worry constantly if you are bothering other people with your comments or if you are really losing your mind, that’s a raw stage of life. No matter how big my problems seems this makes them silly.
I`ve been working with the elderly for too long and it really puts things in perspective, although I can not tell I understand because I am there yet. It just makes me sad. I don’t want to be left alone and I don’t thing no one should. God has his own way of showing us that no matter how thought you thing you are. You will need him, and hopefully loved ones to talk on the phone sometimes ;(.