July 20th, 2009

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Learning From Change

Monday, July 20th, 2009

My last post was on changing plans as they related to preaching yesterday.  I ended up teaching from Psalm 37:1-7-a total departure from my planned message on “Honor Your Parents.”  I can look at the bright side of this and say the secretary will thank me profusely since the outline is ready to go, as is most of the bulletin.  And since she takes off Friday for a Harley show in Denver with her husband (manager of the Bloomington H-D), it will take a load off her plate big time.

This past weekend we have also been blessed with a tornado to hit our home-the human kind.  Our oldest daughter went to visit her sister in Ohio (I think it was actually to see her nephew) and blessed us by coming in Saturday to visit us…with our grandson in tow.  Talk about change!  Talk about a real live tornado!  Talk about having your schedule put all “catty-wampus!”  AND I WOULDN’T WANT IT ANY OTHER WAY! He has brought a whole new meaning to “Grandpa, I love you” when said spontaneously.  I was cutting grass yesterday (or bale it Wednesday) when I heard this voice from the porch.  It is him yelling, “Grandpa, I love you!”  He wanted to watch Ice Age and I had told him I would but when I got back from the office I saw the grass was sort of saying, “Cut me” and I would not be able to get to it until Wednesday.   So I told him I would watch it when I was done cutting grass.  So, he wanted to go outside and ride his bike (big wheel) and watch me.  When I got back from the office and walked into the house my first thoughts/words were, “Holy mackerel! Looks like a tornado went through here.”  Anyway, after cutting the grass we sat down to watch Ice Age (we had watched Kung Fu Panda Saturday evening and yes, we do all sorts of things & watch all sorts of movies for our grandchildren), he with his chicken nuggets, mandarin oranges and chocolate milk and me with my Ramen noodles.  Then came the best part as we both finished up and his first question was, “Grandpa, can I sit in your lap?”  So we laughed and giggled our way through the movie and I can guarantee you he wiggled.  I get to spend the day with him today as we all head to another town for the day and then Tami & I take him back to Ohio tomorrow.

Life is a whole series of changes.  I have one word for sameness:  BORING!  I know there are some people who resist change, who fight it for all its worth.  I will admit that some change is not good and some things are left well enough alone (the Truth for one).  But instead of fighting change I choose to go with it, to embrace it.  My grandson changed my weekend.  I would be stupid not to embrace that and welcome it.  How has change changed you?  How do you react to it?  I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Now…can someone please find me a bed?  I am tired.  They say, “If I had known it was this much fun I would have had my grandkids first” but it is also true that I now know why we have our children when we are younger.  BUT I WOULDN’T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING!!