Overjoyed and Expectant
Yesterday. What was so incredible and wonderful about yesterday?
Let’s see…
Amidst the pandemic craziness, there was a historic first drive-thru graduation at my alma mater. Sitting in line at the local mall parking lot to pick up a preordered harvest box of fresh vegetables, I was able to watch my great nephew graduate from high school via a Facebook broadcast. Who would have even considered such a thing even last year? It brought back memories of ceremonies of the past and the anxiety that has been rampant over the last couple of months stressing over how the graduating classes of 2020 would be able to participate in this long standing tradition.
Even though our massive extended family could not all be present, as each graduate was allowed a single vehicle to be in attendance and drive-thru with the graduate, we all were still able to witness this momentous achievement through the miracle of technology where ever we happened to be. Now that’s exciting!
This event was followed up by a truck parked in the middle of our front yard. My husband was putting some lawn tools away that he had taken to mow at church and the truck simply would not start. He thought maybe the battery was dead so he took it to be checked at the local auto parts store, and nope, battery was all good. A phone call later to our nephew who came and examined the truck, dead starter.
So, the truck gets to have its place of honor in the middle of the yard for the weekend. But we did get a short visit with our niece, her husband and their cute little fella, Colton. What a happy boy!
What’s next… Oh, a pop up thunderstorm with torrential rains that literally flooded the local area. Not so much at our house, but many neighborhoods in our community. Our daughter and son-in-law’s backyard looked like a new lake had been formed and the field in the park at church where the drive-in service was going to be held today would need kayaks and canoes to be used instead of cars, trucks and SUV’s.
There were no warnings from any local weather services or television stations of impending flooding. Apparently it was an unexpected gift that was certainly a surprise.
That brings me to the final occurrence to explain why yesterday was truly fantabulous! Something happened that made a deep and lasting impression on my heart that left me needing to document it for posterity.
My husband and I decided to take some of the vegetables from our harvest box to our daughter and her family. Sharing is caring, you know! On the way we could survey some of the damage left behind as the flash flood waters had already receded in many places. There was lots of debris on roadways and in ditches along the sides that had not been there just a few hours earlier when I had returned home from collecting the harvest box.
When we got to their home, we went to go inside. As I opened the door, our sweet three year old grand son, Eli, lit up with excitement and ran to me for a hug. I heard him say “Mammaw” very clearly which melted my heart as he deftly climbed up into my arms and gave me a kiss. He apparently was so focused on me, he did not notice his Pappaw walk behind me and carry the box into the kitchen.
When I sat him down he went straight to the full glass storm door and looked out. He turned and looked at me and said in his adorable little voice, “ Pappaw here?”
Now for some this may not seem like a big deal. For us, however, it was huge! Eli has had problems learning to talk. He had constant ear, sinus and throat infections and finally had surgery the end of February to remove his tonsils and adenoids and place tubes in his ears. Since his recovery it’s been like a flood gate of words has opened up. But yesterday, was a first for being so exact in what (who) he was looking for and asking directly without prompting.
“Pappaw here”, he says again. With a huge smile, I said, “yes, Pappaw is here” and pointed to the kitchen. About that time Bill walked to the doorway where Eli could see him. That child squealed with toddler delight and ran full speed into the arms of his Pappaw. What a heartwarming sight. I wish I could describe it so you could see, feel and cherish the excitement and warmth of that moment as much as I do.
To be clear, we see Eli most every day as we are his childcare support while Mom and Dad are working. But for whatever reason, having us come to his house instead of him being at ours made a world of difference. He was positively overjoyed! For a kid that has struggled with speaking, those two simple words and that happy response was something we want to treasure always.
The sheer joy and determination in that moment of connection is what I picture our reunion with Jesus to be like. Whether it be upon our earthly demise or when Jesus returns, I believe we will be so overcome by the sight of him, the expectancy of him, that we will run straight into his arms. We will be completely enveloped in his presence that nothing else around us will matter or even be noticed.
Like the return of the prodigal son or Jesus welcoming the children, we will know him, love him and be loved by him so completely. Truthfully, I want to live every day with that in mind. With that same expectancy and assuredness of his overwhelming love for me.
Luke 18:16. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
Luke 15:20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still along way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Let’s see…
Amidst the pandemic craziness, there was a historic first drive-thru graduation at my alma mater. Sitting in line at the local mall parking lot to pick up a preordered harvest box of fresh vegetables, I was able to watch my great nephew graduate from high school via a Facebook broadcast. Who would have even considered such a thing even last year? It brought back memories of ceremonies of the past and the anxiety that has been rampant over the last couple of months stressing over how the graduating classes of 2020 would be able to participate in this long standing tradition.
This event was followed up by a truck parked in the middle of our front yard. My husband was putting some lawn tools away that he had taken to mow at church and the truck simply would not start. He thought maybe the battery was dead so he took it to be checked at the local auto parts store, and nope, battery was all good. A phone call later to our nephew who came and examined the truck, dead starter.
So, the truck gets to have its place of honor in the middle of the yard for the weekend. But we did get a short visit with our niece, her husband and their cute little fella, Colton. What a happy boy!
That brings me to the final occurrence to explain why yesterday was truly fantabulous! Something happened that made a deep and lasting impression on my heart that left me needing to document it for posterity.
My husband and I decided to take some of the vegetables from our harvest box to our daughter and her family. Sharing is caring, you know! On the way we could survey some of the damage left behind as the flash flood waters had already receded in many places. There was lots of debris on roadways and in ditches along the sides that had not been there just a few hours earlier when I had returned home from collecting the harvest box.
When we got to their home, we went to go inside. As I opened the door, our sweet three year old grand son, Eli, lit up with excitement and ran to me for a hug. I heard him say “Mammaw” very clearly which melted my heart as he deftly climbed up into my arms and gave me a kiss. He apparently was so focused on me, he did not notice his Pappaw walk behind me and carry the box into the kitchen.
When I sat him down he went straight to the full glass storm door and looked out. He turned and looked at me and said in his adorable little voice, “ Pappaw here?”
Now for some this may not seem like a big deal. For us, however, it was huge! Eli has had problems learning to talk. He had constant ear, sinus and throat infections and finally had surgery the end of February to remove his tonsils and adenoids and place tubes in his ears. Since his recovery it’s been like a flood gate of words has opened up. But yesterday, was a first for being so exact in what (who) he was looking for and asking directly without prompting.
“Pappaw here”, he says again. With a huge smile, I said, “yes, Pappaw is here” and pointed to the kitchen. About that time Bill walked to the doorway where Eli could see him. That child squealed with toddler delight and ran full speed into the arms of his Pappaw. What a heartwarming sight. I wish I could describe it so you could see, feel and cherish the excitement and warmth of that moment as much as I do.
To be clear, we see Eli most every day as we are his childcare support while Mom and Dad are working. But for whatever reason, having us come to his house instead of him being at ours made a world of difference. He was positively overjoyed! For a kid that has struggled with speaking, those two simple words and that happy response was something we want to treasure always.
The sheer joy and determination in that moment of connection is what I picture our reunion with Jesus to be like. Whether it be upon our earthly demise or when Jesus returns, I believe we will be so overcome by the sight of him, the expectancy of him, that we will run straight into his arms. We will be completely enveloped in his presence that nothing else around us will matter or even be noticed.
Like the return of the prodigal son or Jesus welcoming the children, we will know him, love him and be loved by him so completely. Truthfully, I want to live every day with that in mind. With that same expectancy and assuredness of his overwhelming love for me.
Luke 18:16. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
Luke 15:20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still along way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
