The oldest grandbabies spent the night sprawled out on blankets on our bedroom floor. The night was hot and muggy, and our room was the one refuge with air-conditioning, but truth be told, it’s where they always end up on sleepover nights…in spite of the fact that there is a big comfy bed, and kid friendly toys and books in the room down the hall.
In the morning I tread carefully, stepping over their still sleeping bodies, and go down the hall to my home office. I read the Word and journal, and I’m praying when only grandson walks in stripped down to his pajama shorts after the hot night. He climbs up on my lap, and at age six, he’s now a lapful. I hold him close, and keep praying. My tears fall on his coarse brown hair, and I breathe deep of his little boy smell, and I pray that he will walk with God and serve Him every day of his life. I believe for his little feet to follow His beautiful feet, everyday, everyday.
In the morning I tread carefully, stepping over their still sleeping bodies, and go down the hall to my home office. I read the Word and journal, and I’m praying when only grandson walks in stripped down to his pajama shorts after the hot night. He climbs up on my lap, and at age six, he’s now a lapful. I hold him close, and keep praying. My tears fall on his coarse brown hair, and I breathe deep of his little boy smell, and I pray that he will walk with God and serve Him every day of his life. I believe for his little feet to follow His beautiful feet, everyday, everyday.
When oldest granddaughter wakes up, Papa makes all of us a big breakfast before he leaves for an appointment. I remind myself how little time we have together before they move away, and so I leave the unmade beds, the unfolded laundry, and their blankets strewn on bedroom floor, and tell them we are going on an adventure. It’s easier, when you’re a Nana, to leave the mess…easier to remember, that it’s only a blink before they’re gone.
The sky is cloudless blue and the sun already blazes hot though it’s only mid-morning. In the car they ask about the songs that I sang over them when they were babies, and I sing them one by one. Six songs…one for their mama, one for each of their aunties, one for each of them, one for youngest granddaughter. They join in and sing along on their songs. They ask if Great Grandma had a special song, if I had one, and I tell them that God sings and dances over each one of us, that the Bible tells us so. The conversation goes on like this, and oldest granddaughter comments how the Bible is the truth, and we amen her comment, and we talk of God and we sing of Him all the way to our adventure by the river. It’s easier, when you’re a Nana, easier to remember to talk of Him to these little ones at home, wherever you go, when you lie down, when you get up, (Deuteronomy 6:7)…easier to remember, that it’s only a blink before they’re gone.
We get to the river, and we have an adventure. We find shells, and wonder about these creatures living in the river, we throw rocks and blow bubbles and climb hills. It’s easier, when you’re a Nana, to remember that an adventure costs time, not money…easier to remember, that it’s only a blink before they’re gone.
And sometimes it’s harder, when you’re a Nana, harder because you remember, you know,
it’s only a blink before they’re gone.
Remember young mamas, remember, it’s only a blink before they’re gone.
Still following,
Elizabeth
Today on Walk with Him Wednesday we are blogging about parenting…
