When my father died, I remember the gift of my grandfather stepping into the gap my father's absence left in my life. He was there when I needed him. He would take me with him whenever I wanted to go and he tried to impart his beliefs and morals into me. He did a rather good job as I am the person I am today partially because of his convictions and beliefs. He helped me understand how to be a good Christian woman (with some help from my grandma) and he helped me see how important the people who protect our country really are (as he was a veteran of the Korean War). My beliefs about gun control and small government are in part from his wisdom. When my grandpa passed away in 2006, I felt like I lost my father all over again.
The day that Nate and I found out we were going to be parents, I wondered what 2.0's grandpas would be like. My father in law has no other grandkids and while my stepdad has a couple, he doesn't get to see them very often. What would it be like for them to have this little tiny person in their lives?
At first there wasn't much of a difference. I don't know what it is about men and babies, but they just don't seem to care for them much unless they are their own. Nate didn't mind a brand new baby, but the grandpas weren't as interested in him. Maybe it's because he's breakable at that age? I'm not sure.
Now that 2.0 is almost 2, he's more active and participates in things. He's talking and able to express emotions. He's able to crawl up into a lap and stay there and he's able to smile and laugh. I'm seeing different grandpas now.
We went to visit my mom and stepdad a couple weeks ago and my stepdad was very excited to see my son. He was down on the floor talking to 2.0 and playing with him. They'd hang out on the couch and watch TV together. I've never seen my stepdad so excited to see someone other than my mom in the entire time I've known him. It made my heart warm.
Yesterday Nate and I celebrated our birthdays with my in laws. As soon as 2.0 saw my father in law, he was smiling and laughing, pointing at him and saying 'PeePaw!' over and over. For someone without a nap after a time change, 2.0 was a little crabby and he crawled up to sit with my father in law, laid his head down on PeePaw's tummy, and passed right out. The simple fact that my son feels so safe with his grandpa blew me away. I'm so very touched and thankful for it.
PeePaws are important, especially to little boys. PeePaw is the one that gives that extra validation that maybe Daddy didn't give or couldn't give. My dad couldn't take me shooting, but my grandfather did. There's really no other relationship a child has that's like the relationship he has with his PeePaw.
I'm very thankful for my son's PeePaws. He loves them both. As he gets older, his PeePaws are going to be more and more important to him. Hopefully neither of them have to step in like my grandfather had to, but if something like that happens someday, I know both of them will do a fantastic job.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Infinite Faith
*This post will contain references to faith, God, Jesus Christ, and other various Christian themes and words. If you are offended by such things, please feel free to skip this post. Do not send me emails about how offended you were by my belief in and reliance on God and my belief in Jesus Christ. Remember that everyone has first amendment rights in the USA. You have been warned.*
This week has been very hard. Very very hard. There has been so much...stuff to deal with. It's hard to think about how bad things were when we got to Monday of this week and how completely things have turned around in just a few days. But that's how my God works. I should've remembered that God is bigger than my problems. Instead, I was telling God how big my problems were. He took the opportunity to act.
Last week I called the City of Davenport on my landlord because the window in my son's room wouldn't close correctly. I would have to go outside and close the window while my husband locked it. Our air conditioner also hasn't worked for about three months now. With my son's asthma, the a/c is very important to his well being. We have notified the landlord about both situations, along with other small things that needed to be fixed in the apartment, and we were told that parts had been ordered and things would be fixed when the parts arrived. After waiting two weeks, I was done waiting and took matters into my own hands. My landlord didn't like that very much and filed for eviction.
Walking into eviction court on Tuesday, I was almost completely paralyzed with fear. I was certain that we were going to lose our home and that we would have hardly any time to move. I just didn't understand why this was happening. I was running out of faith.
For the days before we went to court, Nate and I had been praying and asking others to pray for us. I wasn't sure what would happen, but we needed a miracle.
Through our church family and a mistake on our landlord's part, that miracle happened.
A friend of ours at church (who just happens to be the director of development at the Women's Choice Center) decided she wanted to do something big to help us and she wanted to get other people involved as well. She put the word out about our situation and one family from our church donated the money to pay our back rent (that was how the landlord was going to be able to evict us) the day we went to court. Nate and I didn't know this when we went to the courthouse. We found out afterward.
While in court, the judge looked at the paperwork Nate took with him and listened to the questions our lawyer asked and got a little upset with our landlord for not filing all of her paperwork with the court documents. The case was dismissed because of it.
So in a matter of minutes, we found out that our case was dismissed and we wouldn't be kicked out at the end of this week and we had our back rent paid so we wouldn't be brought back to court again in a week. All through the grace and awesome glory of God.
I should know better now than to doubt my faith in my Lord. I know that when I need Him, He's going to show up. I have a child that shouldn't be here because of His love. But to see it actually working out like it did, to watch it happen almost in slow motion...it reinforced my belief and made me humble. Who am I that God would do something like this for me?
Of course the answer is obvious. I'm His child. He loves me.
I know that there will be times like this again. Maybe not exactly like this, but hard times just the same. Life is filled with difficult circumstances. But I know when I need my God to be there with me, He will be. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God's plan for us is to prosper us, not to harm us. He has plans to give us hope and a future.
I lived that this week. I believe it's true. I will continue to believe that my God will be there for me always.
This week has been very hard. Very very hard. There has been so much...stuff to deal with. It's hard to think about how bad things were when we got to Monday of this week and how completely things have turned around in just a few days. But that's how my God works. I should've remembered that God is bigger than my problems. Instead, I was telling God how big my problems were. He took the opportunity to act.
Last week I called the City of Davenport on my landlord because the window in my son's room wouldn't close correctly. I would have to go outside and close the window while my husband locked it. Our air conditioner also hasn't worked for about three months now. With my son's asthma, the a/c is very important to his well being. We have notified the landlord about both situations, along with other small things that needed to be fixed in the apartment, and we were told that parts had been ordered and things would be fixed when the parts arrived. After waiting two weeks, I was done waiting and took matters into my own hands. My landlord didn't like that very much and filed for eviction.
Walking into eviction court on Tuesday, I was almost completely paralyzed with fear. I was certain that we were going to lose our home and that we would have hardly any time to move. I just didn't understand why this was happening. I was running out of faith.
For the days before we went to court, Nate and I had been praying and asking others to pray for us. I wasn't sure what would happen, but we needed a miracle.
Through our church family and a mistake on our landlord's part, that miracle happened.
A friend of ours at church (who just happens to be the director of development at the Women's Choice Center) decided she wanted to do something big to help us and she wanted to get other people involved as well. She put the word out about our situation and one family from our church donated the money to pay our back rent (that was how the landlord was going to be able to evict us) the day we went to court. Nate and I didn't know this when we went to the courthouse. We found out afterward.
While in court, the judge looked at the paperwork Nate took with him and listened to the questions our lawyer asked and got a little upset with our landlord for not filing all of her paperwork with the court documents. The case was dismissed because of it.
So in a matter of minutes, we found out that our case was dismissed and we wouldn't be kicked out at the end of this week and we had our back rent paid so we wouldn't be brought back to court again in a week. All through the grace and awesome glory of God.
I should know better now than to doubt my faith in my Lord. I know that when I need Him, He's going to show up. I have a child that shouldn't be here because of His love. But to see it actually working out like it did, to watch it happen almost in slow motion...it reinforced my belief and made me humble. Who am I that God would do something like this for me?
Of course the answer is obvious. I'm His child. He loves me.
I know that there will be times like this again. Maybe not exactly like this, but hard times just the same. Life is filled with difficult circumstances. But I know when I need my God to be there with me, He will be. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God's plan for us is to prosper us, not to harm us. He has plans to give us hope and a future.
I lived that this week. I believe it's true. I will continue to believe that my God will be there for me always.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)