It's amazing what having children can do to you. You find reserves of strength you never knew you had when their temperatures rise and their chubby little cheeks turn rosy with fever. You find you can do without sleep or food far longer than you ever expected. Even more astounding, you find the Mama Bear that has been lurking unexposed your whole life until the very second someone looks at your child cross-eyed, much less actually threatens them. Grandchildren add a totally new dimension to all of this. At least when your children are young, you are still in relatively good shape physically. But for your precious grandchildren, arthritic knees, stiff backs, and eye-blurring cataracts will not stop you from your appointed rounds!
Silas is in high school now, playing his first year on the varsity basketball team. Living with a house full of men all these years, I have learned enough to know that his defense is stellar, with 2 or 3 steals and 4 or 5 rebounds a game. He is also an assist "machine," some of which are so crisp and clean they take your breath away. Besides all that, he makes a few points every game, yet does all of this in usually about 2 quarters since he is not yet a starter—but would be if Grandma had a vote.
As supportive grandparents, we bought season tickets to the home games and rarely miss one. Unlike the flag football team—where he is known for his touchdown receptions and interceptions—basketball games are played in a gym. The home gym is 59 years old and I would bet the bleachers are the same age. The orangy brown wood is scuffed from years of sneakers, Keds to Air Jordans to Ohtani's New Balance, I imagine. At the bottom in the middle is something they call a step, which leads you to the top. Evidently, 59 years ago, people were much taller, or at least had longer legs. This "step" is higher than my knees, my achy arthritic knees. So now they tell me to climb on up. Pardon? I can barely lift my foot that high, much less actually climb up. No one is sitting there, I think, so why can't I just sit down myself? Because, in pretty black stencil are the letters "NOT A SEAT."
The first time I tried to step up nothing happened. So I rocked back a step and gave it another try. Still no go. At this point Keith lifted on my elbow. I am here to tell you the elbow is NOT the problem. A lady sitting to the side on the second row reached out and asked, "Can I help you ma'am?" I had no idea who she was, probably a fan from the other team, but she was obviously a well-bred Southerner—the ma'am always gives us away. Meanwhile, the line behind me is growing longer. Finally, someone—I have no idea who but just as obviously an NFL fan—gave me a "tush push" and I made it up the step. The remainder of the steps were built for us ordinary folks so I made it to my seat.
This has happened at every home game. By now I am the pre-game entertainment that the whole crowd breathlessly waits for. Even if their own team loses, they get to watch an old lady make an absolute idiot out of herself. But I do it for my grandson and I would do it every day if I had to. I went to a flag football game and nearly got creamed by a player going out of bounds as I sat on the sideline. The young man found out he was really good at hurdles. I went to a play and sat in front of a wiggly group of kindergartners. I babysat for 18 days and by the time it was over I could hardly move I was so tired. I "ate" spaghetti and meatballs made of pine straw and rocks. I kept chicken nuggets in my freezer along with curly fries for one and sweet potato fries for the other, and always kept the cookie jar full. You do these things when you are a grandparent, and you don't mind a bit if you look or sound ridiculous doing it, if it's tiring, inconvenient, or embarrassing.
For, I think, God hath set forth us the apostles last of all, as men doomed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, both to angels and men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you have glory, but we have dishonor. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;1Cor4:9-12
Paul said the apostles were willing to be made a spectacle for the sake of Christ, his gospel and his church. How about us? I am afraid we are too proud sometimes. Who wants to look different than the rest of the world? I honestly think that is the real reason for immodesty, not the desire to show off skin. We just do not want to be different. My skirts were the longest ones in my high school class, along with two other Christians. Unfortunately, there were more than two other Christians at the school. Lucas finally gave up on the high school baseball team because the locker room talk was so vulgar, coarse, and crude. My own Daddy was ridiculed at work because his language did not match the other workers'. They called him, "Shucks," but you know what? I never even heard that word come out of his mouth.
What are we not willing to do for the Lord because it will affect how we are perceived by our neighbors, coworkers, or unconverted family? In our old home, we were friends with some Mennonites. Do you think those women and girls were never stared at when they went grocery shopping? Their long skirts and modest tops, their hair pinned high in something resembling a snood, definitely garnered attention from others, most of it unkind. While I do not believe we need to be that careful, I find myself wondering if any of us could take it if it were required by God. Can we really say we love the Lord our God with all [our] heart and with all [our] soul and with all [our] might (Deut 6:4)?
I will do most anything for my grandchildren, just as I did for my children. I do it because of how much I love them. Maybe we should ask ourselves if we love God and our Lord Jesus that much.
For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died;and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again2Cor5:14,15
Dene Ward
Comments