all of my grandparents had left the earth, both on my mum and pops' side. I choose to say the word "left" because that is, in fact, what they did. They were all believers, so they "left" and went somewhere else: Home.
I've been in love with elderly people for as long as I can remember. My family used to think it strange that I enjoyed going to nursing homes. And when my last grandmother left, I felt like I was going to be missing out on an important part of growing up. I craved ancient stories. Old chuckles. Holding wrinkled hands. Godly encouragement from those older than parents. Making someone's day just by showing up at their house with a trampled flower I picked on the way.
Then one day, years later...
at a luncheon served at the college, I met and fell in love with my "adopted grandparents." They were the people making and serving the lunch for us. I'm glad that I didn't ignore my adoration for old people that day, otherwise I would never have gone up and met them. I introduced myself and asked them if they would tell me a story.
Lila was the one with the angel-white hair, curled around the top of her head like untouched snow, and her eyes were so bright I had to look at them twice to assure myself they were that blue. Her husband Ralph was a carbon-copy of the old man from the film Up, with a big, cute nose and suspenders to hold up his dress slacks.
Ralph had been telling me about how he first fell in love with Lila when she peeked around the corner at him with her blue eyes, and Lila had been telling me something about Nylons, when the thought came into my head. I looked right at Lila and asked,
"Hey, I don't have any grandparents. Do you guys wanna be my grandparents?"
For some reason, I expect her to do an old person chuckle and say "sure." But instead, she burst into tears and called to her husband,
"Ralph! Did you just hear what this little girl asked?! She just asked if we'd be her grandparents!" Ralph immediately came over laughing, his face was full of joy.
"Ah, how 'bout that! Honey, we'd be thrilled to be your grandparents!"
Grandma Lila and Poppy Ralph hugged me a thousand times and kissed me on the cheek. Grandma Lila hugged me so hard it almost hurt. Before I went home that day, the two had given me their phone number, last name, a lot of kisses on the face, and had explained to me how to get to their house.
Later, I learned that before they got in their car to come make lunch at the collage that day, they prayed together, both of them very discouraged, that God would reveal to them what their purpose was left for the remainder of their days left here in earth. Now I know why they cried when I asked them to be my grandparents.
Before I even graduated high school, all of my grandparents had left, so Grandma Lila and Poppy Ralph came to my graduation in their place. They came to my house for dinner on my 17th birthday. They gave me the journal that I currently write in. They prayed for me every time I traveled. They left me voicemails on my phone just to check on me. They came to see my band play that first time we held a concert for the youth shelter. They used their wrinkly hands to hold mine. Their whole day was made every time I'd show up at their house with flowers or an instrument to play for them.
If it weren't for my parents and my Grandma Lila and Poppy Ralph constantly treating eachother with respect and real love, I might have forgotten at that point in my life what it was to be treated right and have a beautiful, God-filled relationship. Lila wouldn't even wait for Ralph to say he needed more tea before she was up pouring him another cup. Ralph would sit across the living room from her and shoot her a wink or two. She once told me, "Yep. We still hold hands in church!"
David, one of Grandma and Poppy's sons died when he was 16. Pulling weeds in their garden was always his least favourite chore to do. Years after his death, Lila dreamed she saw David in Heaven, running through flowers. He called to her and said, "Look, Mom! There's no weeds here!"
Today, the cancer finally defeated my grandma's body--but of course, not her. Grandma Lila just went Home and changed her address. That will be mine and Poppy's address someday, too! Until then, I am happy that she is happy. She's running through the flowers with David. No pain. No cancer. No weeds.
See you soon, Grandma! Tell Jesus I said hi.
"The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever. For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in Heaven--God-made, not handmade--and we'll never have to relocate our "tents" again... we've been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's head. He puts a little of Heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less. That's why we live with such good cheer." - 2 Cor 5:1-6
I've been in love with elderly people for as long as I can remember. My family used to think it strange that I enjoyed going to nursing homes. And when my last grandmother left, I felt like I was going to be missing out on an important part of growing up. I craved ancient stories. Old chuckles. Holding wrinkled hands. Godly encouragement from those older than parents. Making someone's day just by showing up at their house with a trampled flower I picked on the way.
Then one day, years later...
at a luncheon served at the college, I met and fell in love with my "adopted grandparents." They were the people making and serving the lunch for us. I'm glad that I didn't ignore my adoration for old people that day, otherwise I would never have gone up and met them. I introduced myself and asked them if they would tell me a story.
Lila was the one with the angel-white hair, curled around the top of her head like untouched snow, and her eyes were so bright I had to look at them twice to assure myself they were that blue. Her husband Ralph was a carbon-copy of the old man from the film Up, with a big, cute nose and suspenders to hold up his dress slacks.
Ralph had been telling me about how he first fell in love with Lila when she peeked around the corner at him with her blue eyes, and Lila had been telling me something about Nylons, when the thought came into my head. I looked right at Lila and asked,
"Hey, I don't have any grandparents. Do you guys wanna be my grandparents?"
For some reason, I expect her to do an old person chuckle and say "sure." But instead, she burst into tears and called to her husband,
"Ralph! Did you just hear what this little girl asked?! She just asked if we'd be her grandparents!" Ralph immediately came over laughing, his face was full of joy.
"Ah, how 'bout that! Honey, we'd be thrilled to be your grandparents!"
Grandma Lila and Poppy Ralph hugged me a thousand times and kissed me on the cheek. Grandma Lila hugged me so hard it almost hurt. Before I went home that day, the two had given me their phone number, last name, a lot of kisses on the face, and had explained to me how to get to their house.
Later, I learned that before they got in their car to come make lunch at the collage that day, they prayed together, both of them very discouraged, that God would reveal to them what their purpose was left for the remainder of their days left here in earth. Now I know why they cried when I asked them to be my grandparents.
Before I even graduated high school, all of my grandparents had left, so Grandma Lila and Poppy Ralph came to my graduation in their place. They came to my house for dinner on my 17th birthday. They gave me the journal that I currently write in. They prayed for me every time I traveled. They left me voicemails on my phone just to check on me. They came to see my band play that first time we held a concert for the youth shelter. They used their wrinkly hands to hold mine. Their whole day was made every time I'd show up at their house with flowers or an instrument to play for them.
If it weren't for my parents and my Grandma Lila and Poppy Ralph constantly treating eachother with respect and real love, I might have forgotten at that point in my life what it was to be treated right and have a beautiful, God-filled relationship. Lila wouldn't even wait for Ralph to say he needed more tea before she was up pouring him another cup. Ralph would sit across the living room from her and shoot her a wink or two. She once told me, "Yep. We still hold hands in church!"
David, one of Grandma and Poppy's sons died when he was 16. Pulling weeds in their garden was always his least favourite chore to do. Years after his death, Lila dreamed she saw David in Heaven, running through flowers. He called to her and said, "Look, Mom! There's no weeds here!"
Today, the cancer finally defeated my grandma's body--but of course, not her. Grandma Lila just went Home and changed her address. That will be mine and Poppy's address someday, too! Until then, I am happy that she is happy. She's running through the flowers with David. No pain. No cancer. No weeds.
See you soon, Grandma! Tell Jesus I said hi.
"The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever. For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in Heaven--God-made, not handmade--and we'll never have to relocate our "tents" again... we've been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's head. He puts a little of Heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less. That's why we live with such good cheer." - 2 Cor 5:1-6
