Thoughts
The Living Years
Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.’”
Mark 10: 14-16 (NIV)
Her birthday was yesterday.
Our eldest granddaughter, Hannah.
And we were there the day she was born twenty-four years ago.
Our youngest granddaughter’s nineteenth birthday will be next month.
Ellie. And we were there the day she was born.
Their Mimi and I have picture albums, notes, electronic recordings, paintings, cards, and books of the moments of their lives occupying shelves, walls, cabinets, drawers, and boxes throughout our home. And trip records of the hundreds of thousands of miles traveled to be with them.
Precious memories of many sacred moments through the years which have seemed to fly by.
The first time their Mimi, my bride, Lynda, held each of them in her arms, she said all she could remember from each moment was— “You took my breath away!”
There are no more important moments through the years we are blessed and committed to live here on earth, than in the moments we have spent with the sacred trusts of our children, and our grandchildren.
The remembrance yesterday of the celebration of Hannah’s birth, twenty-four years ago, reminds me again of our hearts as grandparents to our two girls, captured in the words from the “The Stackhouse Filibuster” episode of the West Wing TV series, spoken by another truly blessed and committed grandparent, when President Bartlett (played by Martin Sheen) says—
“Where grandchildren are involved, one should not mess with grandparents, for they will go anywhere, do anything, face any adversity, defend against any or anything that would do them harm, climb any mountain and swim any sea for their grandchildren.”
President Josiah Bartlett
How I wish that were the case for children everywhere.
That every child, everywhere, of any age, would have someone in their life who feels that child is a precious gift of God—a child who “takes their breath away.”
Just one person who would hold them in their arms and bless them every moment of their life. How I wish that were the case for children everywhere, and also for adults, everywhere.
May I be so bold as to ask—Why not?
The child you find who “takes your breath away” will never be the same, and neither will you.
Just something for us to think about.
Something for us to embrace and not miss, today and every day as we live out the rest of the years of our lives.
In all the important blessings and moments of all our living years, here.
Happy Birthday, precious Hannah.
Happy Birthday.
And thank you, Lord, for the sacred gift of her life to us.
She still “takes our breath away!”
In His Name–Scott (Gran)
Enjoy this video and song of the classic song “The Living Years” by Mike & the Mechanics.
Recent Thoughts
God Moments in the Basilica
There are things that are supposed to fit a certain way, and then, of course, there have to be things that don’t fit. There are rules, doctrines, dogma, expectations, certain ways of proper behavior and decorum and etiquette. But Christ, in the passage above, talks about those things that don’t seem to fit, the least in society, and our response.
Rope Bridges and the Father’s Hand
When she reached the top of the apparatus, she stopped, for there in front of her was a rope bridge that spanned the walkway below, leading to the tower on the other side and eventually the way down. She could see her Mommy, Daddy and Mimi below her through the ropes, as they encouraged her to walk across the rope bridge. But she stood there—frozen—afraid to move forward and afraid to move back.
The Day the Stars Danced
I will never forget the moment, of many memorable moments, from that pilgrimage to our Nation’s capital, introducing our son, then a teenager, to some of the history of our Nation. As we listened to the curator proudly explaining and pointing out some of the notable things about the Declaration of Independence, chills and tears flooded my emotions.