Fridays are my day
off. At least, as long as there is not a
wedding or a funeral or an emergency of some kind in the life of the
congregation. Until 9 months ago Friday was the day that I would do housework,
or yard work, or paint, or go to the beach. Then Laurel Ana was born. Our son
and his wife were married right out of college in 2002. They waited awhile but
Laurel Ana, born July 7, 2011, was worth waiting for. They live two hours away
in San Diego. So every other Friday I get up at 4:30 a.m., leave by 5 a.m. and drive two hours to arrive in time for
Jeff and Jackie to leave for work by 7:30 a.m. I spend the day with
Laurel—about nine hours. When my son gets home from work at about 4 p.m. I get
in the car and drive two or three hours (rush hour traffic) back to LA. Why do
I do this? Most grandmothers understand. I waited nine years for this child. I
wrote a book for her titled, I Waited For
You So Long. Spending four or five hours driving is a small price to pay to
spend Fridays with Laurel. What makes me do this?
I want to know her and
I want her to know me. I want to have a relationship with her. There is no
guarantee that she will always lives close enough for me to spend Fridays with
her. As long as I am able I will invest
the time. She has just begun to reach for me when she wants me to pick her up.
Oh, how I love it when she reaches for me. I can’t imagine what it is going to feel like
the first time she says my name. You will probably hear the squeal of delight
all the way from San Diego when it happens.
I want to teach her
and I want her to teach me. I learned so much from raising my own three
children. I know that they learned a lot from me. I am older and wiser now (sorry kids!) and have so much to tell her and
show her but I also want to keep on learning. Laurel is teaching me. Watching
Laurel learn reminds me of the sheer wonder of ordinary life—the simple joys.
Sights and sounds, and shapes and flavors are all fresh discoveries for Laurel.
I can teach her what they are called, but she is reminding me of the simple yet amazing wonders of every day life.
It is a joy hard to
describe to watch your child parent a child. He does it so well. To see the
devotion and love and to watch him teach her and love her is sheer joy. I get
there early enough and stay just long enough on Fridays to see a little of
this. It, too, is well worth the drive.
Spending Fridays with
Laurel has made me reflect on my relationship with God. Having a relationship
with God also requires a commitment of time. Just like I set aside Fridays for
Laurel, I need to set aside a time to be with God—reading
scripture, praying, and reflecting on my life. I want to know God. The bible
and prayer helps me learn more about God and I also discover how well God knows
me! If it is a real relationship knowing goes both ways.
Spending time with God in bible study or prayer always teaches me. I have
been doing this for almost 50 years—spending time with God—and yet I continue
to learn. Sometimes I learn new things, but often I am relearning old lessons
or making adjustments to what I thought I already knew! And one of the greatest
joys in knowing God is watching him work in the lives of others that you have
had the privilege of teaching about him.
I love Laurel so much!
But I know the heavenly father loves us, his children, much more than that and more
than we can ever imagine. Knowing this, I can’t help but wonder if it brings
deep joy to the Father when we reach for him and when we call out his name. Fridays
with Laurel is sheer pleasure and will help to build a treasured relationship
with her as long as I live. Any time with God is a pleasure and will build a
relationship with God that will last forever.
There is no right way or perfect time. Each of
us must find a way to spend time with God. Mornings and journaling are key for
me in spending time with God. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Find the time
and way that works for you. Even sporadic is better than not at all. Take time
regularly or whenever you can. Invest. The Heavenly Father is always waiting
for you to reach for him! What is the key to your spending time with God?
