Posts from — October 2009
Happily Ever After
The other day I was visiting with my daughter and her family. They live approximately a four hour plus drive from our home so I am not able to see and visit with them on a regular basis. They are in the process of purchasing a new home and are in the beginning stages of packing boxes upon boxes. I decided that I would take a weekend and travel to their current home to help out with the packing. They have two small children one is five years old and the other is one and a half years old. They are beautiful children and I just love them to pieces — what would one expect — I am Gramma.
Upon reaching her home, my daughter was busy packing and moving things about. She had decided that since I had arrived that she would head up into the attic and start packing and marking items up there. Once she was in the attic, I was placed in charge to watch the grandchildren so mommy could continue. The children and I were in the spare bedroom where my husband and I were to sleep for the evening. There were several items stored in the spare bedroom as it was off limits to the children. One such item was a very nice little tea set that was our granddaughters. She was only to play with the tea set when given permission from her parents and more then likely when in their charge.
The children and I continued our visit in the spare bedroom as Mommy was handing things down to me to pack, throw away, or to mark with a marker. As children would be, our granddaughter was insistent on playing with the delicate tea set and I had to explain to her that Mommy said no — not at this time. After a few times of asking, I left her know that in no certain terms was she to open the box and play with the tea set. It was put aside and we were able to continue on with our packing.
Sometime later my granddaughter was in the play room at the children’s small table and chair set. She was busy composing a note of some sort. My daughter and I were now finished with the attic and we needed some rest and nourishment. I headed straight for the sofa and laid down for a rest. My granddaughter came to visit with me upon the sofa where I was now resting. The note - she stated - was written for me and this is how it went. (Now keep in mind she is five years old so she was speaking from her heart and mind as the writing on the paper was not legible.)
Dear Grandma,
I don’t know why you talk to me the way you do.
I don’t know why you say the things you say to me.
I just wanted to play with my things.
I just don’t know why you talk to me the way you do.
You don’t even know me.
Happily ever after.
Then she stated her name.
Needless to say I was listening very attentively. However, once she reached the ending of Happily ever after I had to break out into a Gramma laughter and held her ever so close. (One must know my granddaughter — she literally wants to be a princess some day and has every princess Disney movie stored in her memory bank from start to finish.)
Our conversation didn’t end there though. I took the initiative and asked her to stay with me on the sofa so we could get to know each other a little bit better. I began by asking her what her favorite color is and then I went on to ask her favorite number –the conversation went on and on. We shared, laughed, and our relationship moved to a whole new level. From that point on I will now be known as her “Happily ever after Gramma“. Which is a good thing as it brought us together personally.
Yes it took a child to open my eyes and heart to the bigger picture of life. Just how well do we know people that we come into contact with throughout our busy lives and how would we respond to someone if they brought it to our attention, “you don’t even know me.”
We who are supposedly grounded in the Faith are sometimes so ready to give an answer or quote a verse in the Bible or we assume the authoritative position on spiritual matters; but do we really get to know those to whom we are speaking with or to? Do we really take the time to love others - to listen to the concerns of others in the way that Jesus did? Are we sensitive to their immediate needs and or desires. We want for people in general to live Godly lives and to live their lives by and according to the verses in the bible.
Let us listen what God says and teaches regarding qualities that we need to have to be effective in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior. 2 Peter 1:3-9 God’s divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own glory and goodness. In this way he has given us the very great and precious gifts he promised, so that by means of these gifts you may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world, and may come to share the divine nature. For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge; to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness; to your godliness add brotherly affection, and to your brotherly affection add love. These are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is so shortsighted that he cannot see and has forgotten that he has been purified from his past sins.
1 Corinthians 13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
Are you living happily ever after?
Till the next time, this is the Voice of Joyce signing off…….
October 22, 2009 4 Comments
It’s Your Turn
I was off and on the go for another busy day with work, family, errands, and commitments. While I was driving through town I came upon a red light at an intersecton and I rolled the car up to the stop light to sit and wait. It was at that moment a thought occurred to me.
It was not my turn to go — for it was a red light; but it was my turn to stop. On the other hand had the light been yellow then it would have been my turn to yield; but for the vehicles in the opposing lanes - it would have been their turn to stop.
I came to realize that at any given time and in any given place it is our turn and it is always someone elses turn at everything and anything. I may wish to always have the green light when my car reaches an intersection as I travel on down the road; but that is not being realistic; however, nonetheless it is always my turn in one sense or another. Example: When we are young it is our turn to play and be the youngsters. When we grow older, it is our turn to be the grown-ups and to be the leaders at home and in the community and to guide and shepherd the youth.
When at work, it may be our turn to be the boss or it may be our turn to be a team player. At school it may be our turn to be the pupil or it may be our turn to be the teacher or the teacher’s helper.
Every stage in our life offers us a turn at something or another. So why is it when we are young or little we want to play “grown-up”. We are suppose to play fair and take our turn. Or maybe we are the grown-up and we want to remain childish. Now who is not taking their turn? Or at work — we want to play the boss — when in reality we need to stay on task and help get the work / project done.
How about in our personal lives? Perhaps one is in the best of shape in one’s life or maybe just the opposite and one’s health is not what is used to be or maybe we are just in the middle somewhere. We all take a turn one way or another / one day or another.
There was a song by the band group called the Byrds. The title of the song was Turn, Turn, Turn (to everything there is a season). I am sure many people remember the song. If not, one may read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn!_Turn!_Turn!#The_Byrds_recording
Should you wish to listen to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUworKXBzdE
The song lyrics are written after a passage in scripture. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and time to heal, a time to tear down and time to build, a time to weep and time to laugh, a time to mourn and time to dance, a time to scatter stones and time to gather them, a time to embrace and time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and time for peace.
And the writer of the biblical passage goes on to say in verses 9-11 — What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Clearly these passages lay out a time or a period of time in and during everyone’s life. We are in a constant state of taking turns or yielding to our turns. It is just a matter of how we take our turns, react to our turns, and whether or not we are being fair about our turns. God speaks to us and shows us the times and the seasons of one’s life. He has made everything beautiful in its time. We need to turn to God and stay close to God and approach every turn in our life as an opportunity to reflect Jesus; reflect love. We must be willing and yielding by allowing the Holy Spirit to flow out from us to display the Almighty’s grace, power, and glory at every turn.
Till the next time, this is the voice of Joyce signing off…….
October 13, 2009 No Comments