Grandkids, 4 and 8, Came For 3-Day Weekend, I Prayed, God Made It OK

I know I should be excited about the grandkids coming from out of town, but I was rather apprehensive about the 3 day weekend ahead.

The boy four and girl eight are a challenge.

Especially the four year old boy.

He has to try every light switch, every door handle, every thing that can be grabbed and fiddled with, or moved out of place, he will surely do it.

But, I definitely prayed for God's help - and he did provide.

Thank God my wife is really into this grandkids thing - she is great.

And my adult son came over several evenings to help "ride herd."

Their parents, my daughter and husband, do NOT attend church, but one of my other adult sons and his wife often take them, as does their other grandmother.

Praise God, they ASKED if we would be going to church - WOW.

We did take them, and thank God, they were well behaved in their classes.

I should remember my brother's sad remark, that all his friends speak of their grandkids coming over, but my brother does not a have any - so far anyway. I guess I should be thankful.

Psalm 127 (maybe Grand-folks can use this too) says:

⁴As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

⁵Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

No two kids are alike

Of course I pray at meal times.

The four year old boy is, as I say, into everything and requires constant watching.

He asked if HE COULD PRAY.

I fought back the "Oh, brother" feeling.

And said, "Sure."

So we paused dinner and he prayed.

From then on, we both took turns praying at the meals.

And, I guess, not to be left out, our eight year old granddaughter asked if SHE could pray.

So we paused dinner and she prayed.

THESE WERE NOT ROTE, MEMORIZED PRAYERS, MIND YOU, BUT REAL, NATURAL, INTELLIGENT PRAYERS.

Not perfect, of course, but good for starters.

So it seems God is making progress with these little unchurched grandkids.

So I was rather sorry in myself, and voiced my regrets to God too, for my "attitude."

As best I recall, I was about 9 when I became actually aware of God.

I was in church, daydreaming as usual, wondering what we were doing there, when the reality of God struck me.

I realised somebody must have made the world and all things in it.

God must have done it.

When we got home, I asked my mother if we had a bible.

I HAD NEVER SEEN A BIBLE IN OUR HOME, BUT MOTHER FOUND ONE, AND I BEGAN TO DO SOME READING.

I THINK GOD GOT MY ATTENTION, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO SALVATION.

My father did pray at dinner on Sunday evenings.

Though it was a rote prayer, it did contribute to my approach to God.

Actually, I still use that rote prayer occasionally.

"Lord, bless this food to our use and us to Thy service, and make us ever mindful of the needs of others. We pray in Jesus name, Amen."

I did not want to come on too strong with them.

But, I did want to better acquaint them with Jesus Christ.

I wanted them to see that Jesus was much much more than an ordinary man.

So, I read Matthew 8:

²³And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

²⁴And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

²⁵And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

²⁶And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

²⁷But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

As they say, kids will ask the darnedest questions.

My granddaughter asked how the wind and waves could hear Jesus since they don't have ears.

My wife jumped in and said that Jesus has the power to make anything happen.

A quarter was worth something in those days when Grandpa offered it to us to memorize John 3:16

My brothers and I remember our paternal granddad.

He would offer us a quarter if we would memorize John 3:16:

¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

¹⁸He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

This action on Granddad's part told us, looking back, he was a genuine Christian.

If you are not sure you are a genuine believer in the Lord Jesus Christ --

To become a Christian see my pages They Came to Jesus, and Jesus Gets a Visitor in the Night.
Also see my page on the Resurrection.

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