photo by tinyfroglet
This is the conclusion to a posting made last Saturday.
The much awaited vacation was upon us, but the anticipation of the challenges we knew were coming with our grandson put a noticeable pall on the enthusiasm. Not only could we expect our conversations to be hijacked, our attention constantly diverted, and our patience tried, but my husband’s interaction with the boy would likely prove to be one of constant correction. Not a fun outlook for relaxation.
What could I say, though? We asked for it. Yep, my husband had been on a thirty day prayer vigil for his son, that his heart would be softened to the Word and that God would give him the right words at the right time to say to him. And I had joined him on the prayer vigil.
What I had expected, though, was some nice, quiet, introspective discussions where all of a sudden the light would go on and everybody would live happily ever after in godly bliss. A neat, tidy little package of evangelistic success and a family vacation to boot. In my mind, what could have been better?
How does the saying go? When we make plans, God laughs. Yep, that would be appropriate here.
My husband saw this as a door opening, and he wasn’t about to not walk through it. As soon as we arrived and joined up with the rest of family, he plunged into a ten day crash course of “Grandpa’s Boot Camp of God and Respect 101”. Our grandson rolled his eyes and feigned worry, but had he known what he was in for he’d have been trembling in his boots.
The first three days involved some heavy doses of will breaking, reality checks and behavior accountability. They were hard on the young man, but when Grandpa revealed that the same behavior by him had hurt other people, a light went on. Tears of unfairness were replaced with tears of repentance, and the rebuilding process began.
From then on, it was a daily process of learning appropriate responses, pitching in with family cabin chores and constantly reviewing seven rules for respectful living. And everyday, sitting with Grandpa and reading from the Bible.
About seven days into the “program” my husband’s son arrived with the rest of his family. And those long, introspective discussions finally took place.
A carefree, bask-in-the-sun vacation this was not. But I have to admit, it was a learning one, and not just for the grandson. I found myself on the receiving end of some God-sized smacks myself. What did I learn?
Shut up and trust my husband. Who am I to question a man faithfully and diligently pursuing God for the sake of his family? My husband didn’t know what to expect, but he knew a door had opened and that was all the impetus he needed to follow God’s leading.
Shut up and trust God. How many times does God have to prove Himself to me before I understand that He knows what He’s doing and He doesn’t need me directing the show?
Shut up and get out of the way. James 5:16 says that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. If my husband prays for the salvation of a loved one and I support him in prayer, then I need to believe the prayer will be answered. I need to let the Holy Spirit do its work and stop the “Yes, but” arguing.
So, how did it all end up? It’s a story in progress. I can tell you that the last day that my husband’s son and grandson were with us, my husband prepared to sit down and begin the Bible reading for the day. Our grandson, who by that time had become almost a different boy, turned to his grandfather with great respect and said, “Can my dad read it to me instead of you, Grandpa?”
And with deep, deep satisfaction my husband watched as his son read from Mark 5, his grandson resting his head against his dad’s shoulder, taking in the miracle of the healing of the demon-possessed man.
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