I have been enjoying the company of children and grandchildren this week. It is so much fun to stay in their homes and just be part of the family - doing every day things with them like coloring or reading with the kids, watching t.v., and eating together. While the first hour is always a little stilted because they're shy around me, the novelty soon wears off and I'm fully assimilated into their world! I love it! "All the fun without the responsibility" my mom would have said!
Being with them is living on the edge! You never know what will happen next! You can't turn your back for a minute, at least with the little ones, without risking an "unforeseen occurence" of some kind - coloring on the wall, water poured on the floor, food being fed to the dog, a foreign object being flushed, or a bathtub being used in an unusual way; and these are not naughty kids - just kids who are being kids. "I wonder what will happen if..." Curiosity trumps caution & they just act, with lightning speed, causing the unsuspecting parents to have to pick up the pieces, clean up the mess, repair the damage.... and then wiping away the "I'm sorry" tears!
Then there is the interaction with each other. They will tease and roughhouse, until one of them gets "injured" and then there is the bloodcurtling cry of "He hurt me" or "She pushed me"...the casting of blame followed by cries of innocence or a flood of explanations! Even when warnings have been given in order to prevent this very outcome, the eventual consequence is always the same - the tears and hurt feelings, followed by the soothing of physical or emotional injuries! From early morning until the dark of night, there is a whirlwind of activity! Unless somehow they fall asleep during an afternoon video, the noise, questions, demands, and commotion never cease. I watch with a smile as my children struggle to keep up with the energy level of their children. It doesn't seem all that long ago that I was in their shoes - the silent prayers for a few minutes of peace and quiet, the hope for days free of colds or flu, the struggle to keep up with the mounds of laundry, and the neverending list of things to do to keep the household running relatively smoothly. Add to those everyday tasks things like carpooling, playdates, & other miscellaneous activities and you have a recipe for exhaustion! You have to cultivate Superpowers to get everything done, and once you do it's only a matter of time until you have to start the list over again. It's why they say raising children is not for the faint of heart & it's the wisdom of God that we have them while we're still young enough to chase them!
And yet my children haven't yet tried to sell their kids to gypsies or give them away at the nearest mall! I haven't even heard the old familiar "I brought you into this world and I can take you out" because above all else they Love them. They get frustrated, tired, even Mad sometimes, but that never alters the love they have for them. Their love overrides their desires to lash out in anger or become cruel! They discipline without destroying, and teach lessons out of "accidents". They have incorporated the best parts of my parenting and eliminated the other parts. I even occasionally hear words and phrases that I used to say - now that's the full circle for sure! It is so gratifying to know that these kids that made me so crazy at times have become such wonderful parents! They don't do everything exactly as I did, or would, but they have found the way that works for them and it's amazing to witness!
And the rewards are So worth the hard times. The hugs, kisses, playtimes, and expressions of love make the frantic activity fade into unimportance. To see the grandkids respond with such affection and sweetness to their parents, and to watch their gentle interaction with their siblings is worth everything!
There are so many Biblical applications here! God is ever vigilant in His watchful care of us. We do such "childish" things and yet He never berates us or disowns us. His love never alters! We disappoint Him, misunderstand His directions, disobey His commands & make huge messes of our lives, and yet He just keeps picking us up, cleans up our disasters, & uses our mistakes to teach us valuable lessons. His love for us overrides all His decisions concerning us and, unlike all of us human parents, He never gets weary or frustrated. He knows we are just "children" and allows us our frailties! He disciplines us when necessary, but always for our good, and redirects us when we get off course. He watches our interactions with each other, letting us work out our little scuffles, and then reminds us again to forgive as we were forgiven. His reward, when He gets one, is the response of our love back to Him; the times we obey and listen; the seasons that we get along with one another and choose love over fighting back or holding a grudge; the little victories He gets to see as we grow up! He is the epitome of the perfect parent, of course, because He is the one who initiated parenting from the beginning. Just as each of my grandchildren require different parenting methods, God knows just how to treat each of us in order to best foster our maturity and growth!
Often it is said that if Grandparents would have known how much fun grandchildren would be they would have skipped the kids and had grandkids first, but I disagree. I am so grateful to be able to see how the love, sacrifice, and hard work of parenting has paid off in the willingness and ability of my children to love, sacrifice and work hard for my grandchildren. I wouldn't miss it for anything! It is truly one of the joys of life!!
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