My family means everything to me so you will hear me talk about them all the time. My maternal grandparents were a large influence in my life. We lived next door to them for a bit, we lived with them for a bit, I stayed with them when I was sick as a child, and the list goes on. There are so many memories that I have of them.
My granddaddy was a principal, a superintendent, and an elder in the church. He did the grocery shopping, he did the yard work (when I was younger), he helped his neighbors without second thoughts. He loved to hunt and he liked piddle around in his "work space" in the garage. He paid the bills at his desk and he loved to read and learn new things.
Even with all these things, he always found time to read to me, show me how to plant things, how to have compassion for those less fortunate than us, how to be a help to others, and so on. He always seemed to have time for me.
For 8 years, I was the only grandchild so in some ways, I was a bit spoiled by my grandparents but in other ways, I was not. One memory that I have was earning a dollar from my granddaddy when I was about 5 years old. I was so excited! The next day we went to town and I had my dollar. It was burning a hole in my pocket. There was a man selling trinkets outside the store and I just had to have one. Now, my granddaddy advised against it but I was adamant that I wanted that trinket. So, he allowed me to purchase it. We started home. Upon arriving at home, I was so excited to show everyone my new trinket that I jumped out of the car and immediately it fell to the ground and shattered. I was crushed. I begged to go back and get another one. My granddaddy (with a long face) told me sternly but lovingly that this was not possible. He explained that this was the reason that he had been encouraging me to not purchase this item. My heart was broken. I just knew that he was being mean at that time. I ran into the house crying. I was expecting sympathy but instead, I found that everyone was saying the same thing. I should have listened to my granddaddy. He was wiser and knew what he was talking about.
After a little bit, I went and found my granddaddy. I apologized to him for throwing a fit (let's be real, I really threw a temper tantrum over the trinket thing). He gathered me in his arms, hugged me, and then said that this lesson was one of the hardest lessons that he had to watch me learn. He told me that he loved me but he had to let me find out the hard way that he knew what he was talking about. That left a definite impression on me. I still remember that day like it just happened.
God is like that with us. He knows what is best and He has our best interest at heart. He wants the best for us. Not some trinket that will break within 5 minutes after we buy it. If we allow Him, He will show us the best of the best and greatest of the greatest because we are His children and He loves us without conditions. It is a hard thing for Him to watch us go off and do what we want instead of what He has shown us to do. Stop and listen to His voice. Wait. Pray. It will save you some heartache in the end. His way is best. Always has been and always will be. Be blessed. I am always praying.
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