August 4, 2012

Two entries today since I missed yesterday …

Grandpa’s Candy Cabinet

Memories are funny things. They can evoke both laughter  and tears; more often than not I have been experiencing the latter.  I guess it’s the nature of grief and the way healing goes. I have been reading books dealing with grief lately and one of the points made is that often the more deeply we loved, the more deeply we will grieve. It’s how things are.  I had the privilege of spending some time with a friend today.  Being with her recalled some memories from childhood.  One of those memories was Grandpa’s candy cabinet.  My maternal grandfather had an insatiable sweet tooth. To satisfy that sweet tooth, he kept an assortment of candy readily available... orange slices, chocolates, hard candy, bucket candy at Christmas... you name it, it was likely there.  It was, however, locked away in a china cabinet.  We grandchildren would often ask, usually after Sunday lunch, ”Grandpa, can we have some candy? “ He would take his keys, unlock the cabinet, and into our outstretched, expectant hands, drop a few morsels. There was one Saturday, when I was too sick to leave the house.  I was spending the day languishing on couch in our den.  Grandpa was over at the house for a meeting related to the church.  He brought me some of his treasured chocolate stars from his cabinet, because he thought they would soothe my throat.  I was touched by this gesture of kindness by my otherwise reserved grandfather.   Why this memory today?  Maybe God knew that I needed to be reminded once again of the love that surrounded my family so that my heart be not overwhelmed with sorrow.  Love is of God.  The love that has existed in my family trans- generationally is a gift that only He can give. May I rest in His embrace and its blanket of memories during these days of grieving. 

So Run

I was watching the Olympics this evening and the utter elation with which the winners received and embraced their medals.  I was reminded of these words by the Apostle Paul  in I Corinthians 9: ²⁴ Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! ²⁵ All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.” (NLT).  There have been times in recent days that I have been tempted to despair of life itself., but watching those athletes just now reminded me that I am running a race … for an eternal prize … I want the gold in that day.  Even though we say we live for an audience of One, Hebrews 11 plainly tells us that we have an audience in the heavenlies cheering us on.  I can’t disappoint them either.  To the finish line! Sola Deo Gloria!