Monthly Archives: August 2021

I miss my granddaughter!

That may seem a little silly at first. After all, I only just met Bexlie 3 weeks ago and even then I only got to see her and hold her for a few short minutes before we had to go. How could someone so small have wormed her way into my heart so quickly that I feel a little emptiness without her around? I don’t know how, but I know it’s true. I miss my granddaughter!

Thankfully, we’ll get to see Bexlie in just a couple weeks, but that seems so far away. How much will she have grown in that time? How will she have changed? What will we have missed?

It’s hard being a grandparent from a distance. I want to be able to watch Bexlie grow, see her laugh, hold her while she sleeps. I want to be there for her milestones – her first laugh, her first word, her first step. Bexlie’s only been around for 17 days, but she’s already become such an important part of our lives. I miss her!

God feels the same way about you. He misses you! He misses talking with you, sharing your joys and sorrows, your laughter and your tears. He misses long walks and long talks. He longs to hold you close and soothe your fears, calm your worries, wipe away your tears.

I don’t know what has been keeping you away from Him – guilt, anger, fear, pain. Or maybe you, like the prodigal son, needed to taste what was out there, try on the world for size, only to find it doesn’t fit. Now, however, now when you long for home, you’re too ashamed to come crawling back or too afraid of the reception you’ll receive.

The thing is, you don’t need to feel any of that. God misses you! Like a shepherd He is searching for you. Like the prodigal’s father he is watching for you. If you will just take that first step towards Him, He will run to you, gather you in His arms and wrap Christ’s robe of righteousness around you. He will kiss your cheek, throw a party, and welcome you home with open arms.

You see, your Heavenly Father misses you, even more than I miss Bexlie. He loves you “with an everlasting love.” Moment-by-moment He is drawing back to Him “with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3). He emptied all of Heaven, in the person of His son, just so He could win you back. There’s nothing He won’t do to see you home, safe and sound where you belong.

Why wait a moment longer? “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8). Today, “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6) It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, because He promises “whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37).

Haven’t you wandered long enough? It’s time to come home. Take that first step today. Just come home. Your Father misses you!

A dear friend of mine had a birthday a couple days ago, but she didn’t celebrate it in the traditional way, with a party, cake and candles. Gifts were given, but she was the giver, not the receiver.

Deanna is a nurse who on her birthday, she was assigned to work in the ER COVID wing. So, instead of getting showered with gifts, Deanna gave herself away, providing comfort and support to a family whose mother was dying of COVID. 

This was an especially difficult case for Deanna, because she lost her own father to respiratory failure not long ago. Watching her patient struggle for air, brought back painful memories of Deanna’s own father in his last days, but it also helped her relate to what her patient’s family was going through. Sharing her own experience with the family helped them make the difficult decision to switch their mother from treatment to comfort care, which allowed the medical staff to make her last hours as comfortable as possible.

Deanna paid a price for this kindness, however. She says, “I spent most of the day holding back tears or letting them flow.” Sometimes that’s the price we pay when we give ourselves away.

1 John 3:16 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

Everyday our incredible nurses, first responders, and other medical providers selfishly give and give and give, sometimes till they have nothing left. For most of us this pandemic is an inconvenience, but for them it is a heavy burden they bear with grace, caring, and professionalism, showing each of us what real love is, the kind of love that calls us to lay it all on the line, just like Jesus did.

Today, please take a moment to say “Thank you” to a nurse, a doctor, or the countless others who selflessly give so much for so many everyday. Thank them for giving their time, their energy, their skills and for putting their own lives on the line, to help us get through this crisis. While you’re at it, give them (and yourself) a gift that can really make a difference – go get vaccinated! Then get out there and follow their example: 

Be like Jesus and give yourself away!

I’d like to introduce you to our first grandchild, Bexlie Fae Edison. Ain’t she a beauty? She was born late Thursday night. Ana and I are already head-over-heels in love and we only just met her yesterday afternoon. Because of pandemic restrictions we couldn’t see her in the hospital, so we had to wait until she came home to see her for the first time.

It’s been a long nine months waiting for Bexlie to make her appearance, but now that she’s arrived, we can’t wait to start to get to know her. It’s going to be so much fun having a little one in the family again.

Proverbs 17: 6 says, “Grandchildren are the crowning glory and ultimate delight of old age…” and now that I have a grandchild of my own I see what Solomon was talking about. I’m thrilled to be this little lady’s Grandpa and I’m looking forward to all the fun we’re going to have with her as she grows.

I’m going to cherish the moments holding her, rocking her and just listening to her laugh. When she gets older I’ll sit on the floor with her and we’ll have tea parties together (if I can get my old joints to bend that far). I’ll read her stories and make up tales of mice who go on adventures and knights who rescue young damsels. We’ll go for walks and have long talks and just enjoy being together. And wherever she goes and whatever she does Bexlie will know one thing – she is deeply and completely loved.

From the moment I saw Bexlie’s picture for the first time I knew I would do whatever it takes to keep her safe and to care for her needs. She’s my granddaughter, my “crowning glory and
ultimate delight” of my “old age”. I will do anything for her (even if it means changing a poopy diaper or two).

That’s how your Heavenly Father feels about you. You, with all your weaknesses, faults, and scars, are His “crowning glory and ultimate delight”. He loves you with an everlasting love (Isaiah 61:8) and He’ll do whatever it takes for you to be happy and safe. After all that’s why He gave His Son to pay the price for your sin, so “that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

With Ana and I living 3-½ hours away it’s going to take time (and a lot of driving) for us to get to know our granddaughter, but you can start to get to know your Heavenly Father right away. Just open His Word and read His love letter to you. Spend every day with HIm, laughing, talking, sharing stories, and just enjoying the hours together.

You’re even more precious to God then Bexlie is to us. You are His “crowning glory and ultimate delight.” Give Him your heart today and discover for yourself what it’s like to really, truly be loved.