Random Thoughts On Family
It has been a long time since I wrote in my blog - "PuttingTruthFirst". I was thinking today about what my mom would think of my grandparenting efforts. I am blessed with three wonderful grandchildren. Two boys and one little girl who can make your heart leap when she is around. The oldest boy is Axel. He is the offspring of my son and daughter-in-law. Four years ago they were blessed with a little girl they chose to name "Astrid". The other boy is my little eight month old grandson. He is Luke and he belongs to Tabitha and Mitch. All of the children are a delight to me.
When Axel learned that I was soon to have another grandson, he came to me and said quite seriously, "Granny, I don't want to be replaced." In his little ten year old thinking, a new grandson would take his place. I assured him that that could never happen because he was my first grandson and held a favored position my heart. I assured him that that would always be the case. No one could take his place.
Luke has crafted out his own position in the family. He is the youngest and a precious little baby. He is loved very much. I spent a great deal of time praying for this child because Tabi had already lost one baby. I was not much into blogging during that period of time. There are things that make you go silent. I know that Roger probably wishes he knew what they were at times because silence is something that I often break. Luke brought a healing to a mom who was quite devastated and to a granny who wanted only the best for her daughter.
I think my mom would have to feel the same way about us. She always wanted the best for us. She wanted us to be happy. Mom and Dad were a far cry from today's parents. They were a military family. We learned to say "yes sir" and "no mam". To this day those phrases are part of my conversation. Being early to work, to church and to places you were invited were also very much a part of my upbringing. My parents brought a level of order to our lives. They showed us by living how to be kind and loving. Mom was a bit nervous but Dad always brought calm to the house. The most dreaded words we could hear from Mom were "just wait til your dad gets home." We knew we were in real trouble if Mom used that phrase. Generally, she used corporal punishment, (of which I do not approve) but her philosophy was spank them all and you will get the guilty party. Dad on the other hand, would say "go to my room." Those were dreaded words coming from him. He would later tell me that he did not believe in correcting a child when he was angry. He had an understanding of his own temperament. He knew that he could get very angry and act out if he permitted it. He used the go to my room phrase for himself to calm down before he would confront us on what we had done.
My parents were not perfect but I always knew that I was loved. I knew that I could go to my Dad to rid myself of unwanted boyfriends or just get some much needed advice. I miss that today. Mom and Dad both were wise. They had taken advantage of the life they lived and learned from it. They tried to pass that knowledge on to us. I am sure that it was not easy sense like all children we thought we were pretty smart. My Dad did say to me once, "You were the only child that I never had a moment's concern about. I never worried about you. I trusted you." That was high praise from someone who was so very hard on himself. My Dad always felt that he was not good enough. How sad! From him I learned patience, perseverance, and the power of continuing to learn. Mom was still learning until the day she passed away. They were good examples for our family. I hope that can be said of my life toward my children.
Another thing and probably by far the most important was the power and love of God. Early on my parents realized that God was a necessity in their lives and they wanted that for their children. They did not understand how to order a day in living for God so they did things to the best of their ability. Our particular denomination at the time, did not fully understand the importance of teaching. That aspect would come much later. They did however understand the importance of church and its value in the life of a believer. We attended church three times per week, Sunday morning for Sunday School and Worship, Sunday evening for worship and Wednesday night. If we were in a revival I often would go without my parents throughout the week because we lived right across the street from our church. This was a very precious time in my life. Even when we moved to the Hawaiian Islands, we were faithful to the three time per week schedule. The church we attended was seventeen miles away. You would think it was hundreds of miles the way the islanders admired our faithfulness. They had never been to Texas. Seventeen miles was a long way on Oahu. The years we were there were filled with eye opening and spiritually reviving times. We saw God in a new way. He wasn't as strict and unforgiving as the God we often saw on display in the states. This caused some members of my family to question what I am sure they perceived as discrepancies. I knew that that wasn't the case. Sometimes the message can get muffled when the messenger relies on his own intellect however, God is always clear if we only read His word. We need to know God's Word.
At these times, I am so grateful that by grace, God introduced His son, Jesus Christ to me when I was very young only five. Meeting Him so early was like crossing a mountain peak, looking at a snowflake through a microscope or beholding the universe through a great telescope. He made everything seem so small. I realized that this wonderful Creator of Universes and Galaxies was bigger than anything that I could see with my naked eye. I was very small and He loved me. He was the door into an incomprehensible world - the world of the spirit that existed all around me. I was a spiritual being who had an immortal soul and resided in a physical body! Even now after sixty two years of serving Him I am moved by this great reality. It saddens me that so many have closed the door to this experience. They have missed so much. To live like a dog and die like a dog is not what God intended for His masterpiece creation-mankind. He loved this creation. He loves man so much that He redeemed them by giving His Son to buy them back. Christ paid this debt.
Without the godly parents that I had, I would have never known this Christ! How blessed I have been! I hope that my own children will be blessed by my life and understand the importance of having God be in every part of their life. They are in His hands. That my friend is the real truth.
When Axel learned that I was soon to have another grandson, he came to me and said quite seriously, "Granny, I don't want to be replaced." In his little ten year old thinking, a new grandson would take his place. I assured him that that could never happen because he was my first grandson and held a favored position my heart. I assured him that that would always be the case. No one could take his place.
Luke has crafted out his own position in the family. He is the youngest and a precious little baby. He is loved very much. I spent a great deal of time praying for this child because Tabi had already lost one baby. I was not much into blogging during that period of time. There are things that make you go silent. I know that Roger probably wishes he knew what they were at times because silence is something that I often break. Luke brought a healing to a mom who was quite devastated and to a granny who wanted only the best for her daughter.
I think my mom would have to feel the same way about us. She always wanted the best for us. She wanted us to be happy. Mom and Dad were a far cry from today's parents. They were a military family. We learned to say "yes sir" and "no mam". To this day those phrases are part of my conversation. Being early to work, to church and to places you were invited were also very much a part of my upbringing. My parents brought a level of order to our lives. They showed us by living how to be kind and loving. Mom was a bit nervous but Dad always brought calm to the house. The most dreaded words we could hear from Mom were "just wait til your dad gets home." We knew we were in real trouble if Mom used that phrase. Generally, she used corporal punishment, (of which I do not approve) but her philosophy was spank them all and you will get the guilty party. Dad on the other hand, would say "go to my room." Those were dreaded words coming from him. He would later tell me that he did not believe in correcting a child when he was angry. He had an understanding of his own temperament. He knew that he could get very angry and act out if he permitted it. He used the go to my room phrase for himself to calm down before he would confront us on what we had done.
My parents were not perfect but I always knew that I was loved. I knew that I could go to my Dad to rid myself of unwanted boyfriends or just get some much needed advice. I miss that today. Mom and Dad both were wise. They had taken advantage of the life they lived and learned from it. They tried to pass that knowledge on to us. I am sure that it was not easy sense like all children we thought we were pretty smart. My Dad did say to me once, "You were the only child that I never had a moment's concern about. I never worried about you. I trusted you." That was high praise from someone who was so very hard on himself. My Dad always felt that he was not good enough. How sad! From him I learned patience, perseverance, and the power of continuing to learn. Mom was still learning until the day she passed away. They were good examples for our family. I hope that can be said of my life toward my children.
Another thing and probably by far the most important was the power and love of God. Early on my parents realized that God was a necessity in their lives and they wanted that for their children. They did not understand how to order a day in living for God so they did things to the best of their ability. Our particular denomination at the time, did not fully understand the importance of teaching. That aspect would come much later. They did however understand the importance of church and its value in the life of a believer. We attended church three times per week, Sunday morning for Sunday School and Worship, Sunday evening for worship and Wednesday night. If we were in a revival I often would go without my parents throughout the week because we lived right across the street from our church. This was a very precious time in my life. Even when we moved to the Hawaiian Islands, we were faithful to the three time per week schedule. The church we attended was seventeen miles away. You would think it was hundreds of miles the way the islanders admired our faithfulness. They had never been to Texas. Seventeen miles was a long way on Oahu. The years we were there were filled with eye opening and spiritually reviving times. We saw God in a new way. He wasn't as strict and unforgiving as the God we often saw on display in the states. This caused some members of my family to question what I am sure they perceived as discrepancies. I knew that that wasn't the case. Sometimes the message can get muffled when the messenger relies on his own intellect however, God is always clear if we only read His word. We need to know God's Word.
At these times, I am so grateful that by grace, God introduced His son, Jesus Christ to me when I was very young only five. Meeting Him so early was like crossing a mountain peak, looking at a snowflake through a microscope or beholding the universe through a great telescope. He made everything seem so small. I realized that this wonderful Creator of Universes and Galaxies was bigger than anything that I could see with my naked eye. I was very small and He loved me. He was the door into an incomprehensible world - the world of the spirit that existed all around me. I was a spiritual being who had an immortal soul and resided in a physical body! Even now after sixty two years of serving Him I am moved by this great reality. It saddens me that so many have closed the door to this experience. They have missed so much. To live like a dog and die like a dog is not what God intended for His masterpiece creation-mankind. He loved this creation. He loves man so much that He redeemed them by giving His Son to buy them back. Christ paid this debt.
Without the godly parents that I had, I would have never known this Christ! How blessed I have been! I hope that my own children will be blessed by my life and understand the importance of having God be in every part of their life. They are in His hands. That my friend is the real truth.
We are small, but He loves us. He is the great I AM and our Lord and Savior and our dearest friend. What a joy to know Him.
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