This weekend Helen & I had the joy of spending Christmas evening and several days afterwards with our son Charlie and his dear wife Dawn, and our granddaughters Abby and Naomi. It was a wonderfully exciting time for us. Charlie has just accepted a really good job with a large company and we are rejoicing with him. It will allow Dawn to be at home more with our two lovely granddaughters. It does require them to leave Texas and move to Washington State.
And, that is the rub I guess. Now our two beautiful grandchildren will be 2000 miles away instead of a thousand. Of course we had hoped that they would be moved closer by the providential hand of God who always attends to the wants and desires of grandparents. :-) We are so glad & grateful to God that their house is nearly sold and that they have found another. But, today I find myself saying goodbye as my adult child heads off on another adventure.
It reminds me of when Charlie volunteered for the army over a decade ago. I drove him to the hotel where he stayed the night before he shipped out. I said goodbye in the sincere hope that time and the tide would bring him back home someday. It did, but since then life has been a succession of moves and goodbyes each time with the hope that someday soon he would be back.
I know that all of this is a learning/growth opportunity for me. It is the bittersweet last lesson of parenthood. The path The Lord has for me and for my adult children will head in different directions. I know this. So today I will smile give them all a hug and head back to Indiana with Helen as I learn how to rejoice when God chooses to bless others in a different direction.
And, that is the rub I guess. Now our two beautiful grandchildren will be 2000 miles away instead of a thousand. Of course we had hoped that they would be moved closer by the providential hand of God who always attends to the wants and desires of grandparents. :-) We are so glad & grateful to God that their house is nearly sold and that they have found another. But, today I find myself saying goodbye as my adult child heads off on another adventure.
It reminds me of when Charlie volunteered for the army over a decade ago. I drove him to the hotel where he stayed the night before he shipped out. I said goodbye in the sincere hope that time and the tide would bring him back home someday. It did, but since then life has been a succession of moves and goodbyes each time with the hope that someday soon he would be back.
I know that all of this is a learning/growth opportunity for me. It is the bittersweet last lesson of parenthood. The path The Lord has for me and for my adult children will head in different directions. I know this. So today I will smile give them all a hug and head back to Indiana with Helen as I learn how to rejoice when God chooses to bless others in a different direction.
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