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| Photo by: papaija2008 |
I congratulated a friend who became a grandma for the
first time. She said, “It’s great. I didn’t understand until it happened.” I
agree a hundred percent.
We all handle grandmahood* in different ways.
- There are the CRAZY grandmas. They’re the ones who have a stack of baby pictures from the child’s EVERY DAY and show them to you EVERY TIME you see them. They gush and coo—even when the child is nowhere around. They take a million pictures of themselves with the baby. (You’d think the kid had no parents!)
- Then, we have the laid-back grandmas. They take everything in stride. After all, babies are a normal part of life, and lots of people have them. They’re the ones you have to ask about their grandkids.
- There are shopping grandmas. They buy out every baby section in every store. (After all, the baby needs all that stuff!) Watch out, Babies ‘R Us, Grandma’s coming! They are easily identifiable by their T-shirts. They say things like “Love, love, spoil, Nana;” “This is what awesome Grandmas look like;” and “Great moms get promoted to grandmas.”
- The “original” grandmas—They’re the ones who dress up in ridiculous hats, make incredible, shaped birthday cakes, plan themed parties, arrange food like animals on plates, and make their grandchildren feel spoiled and special. They make crafts, sew, decorate, and they even have wonderful play boxes in their homes for when the grandkids visit.
- And, there are the long-distance grandmas, like me. We’re the ones that make Skype earn its keep. We can join even the most pixelated pictures in our minds and imagine the most beautiful grandkids on earth. We’ve mastered the art of playing peek-a-boo across thousands of miles.
- Did I mention the prejudiced grandmas? (I think ALL grandmas are in this category.) They’re the ladies that KNOW their grandsons and granddaughters are the cutest, sweetest, most precious . . . on and on . . . greatest grandchildren that were ever born. Yep, that’s all of us!
There is a deep satisfaction
in having grandchildren. I am glad for our children, because they are
beginning to understand the indescribable love we have for them. They love their own children with that same, intense love.
They are beginning to understand the investment of time and energy it takes to
steer children towards obedience and right attitudes. They are seeing for
themselves how funny little ones can be. It is so fulfilling to watch my
children interacting with theirs.
Drumroll . . . . . . . . . . .
Our daughter had
her second baby boy early this morning (12th). We saw him for the
first time on Skype, just now. He is wonderful with chubby cheeks and a
turned-up nose. (Told you I was a long-distance grandma!) What a blessing!
Mother and Baby are doing fine, and we are grateful to God for another precious
grandson—three, and counting.
Children are a
heritage. (Psalm 127:3)
Here are some
Grandma and Grandpa Bible verses:
- We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. . . . That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children (Psalm 78:4, 6).
- But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children (Psalm 103:17).
- If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore (Psalm 132:12).
- Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers (Proverbs 17:6).
As Christians, we
have an obligation to help our children teach their children to love God. Here are some ideas for Christian grandmas
of all descriptions (crazy, laid-back, shopping, original, etc.). They’re ways
you can influence your grandchildren for the Lord:
- Read to them. Read the Bible, Bible stories, and good, moral stories. Even if you only get to see them once a year or two, they will never forget the books Grandma read.
- Do something different with them. Plan a craft or a funny dress-up time or a unique excursion. Do something with them that no one else does. No, this isn’t spiritual, but “for the Christian, there is no difference between the secular and the sacred; all ground is holy ground, and every bush is a burning bush.”**
- Sing hymns with them. (If you can’t hold a tune, you can give them Patch the Pirate CDs*** or other good, Christian music to listen to.) The old traditional hymns hold a wealth of doctrine and genuine worship. When children learn these as small children, they learn to love God. The Patch the Pirate adventures are strong on character training. The music is peppy and fun.
- Pray with them. I’m not talking about long prayers, going over your whole prayer list. I’m talking about a sincere prayer for them by name and asking God’s blessing on their lives. When grandchildren hear you pray for them, they know you are talking to God about them. It makes an impression for good.
- Bake special treats with them. Whether it’s chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, pies, or Christmas treats, when children have helped, it becomes memorable.
- Hug. There’s nothing like a Grandma hug. Nothing.
Jesus said, Suffer the little children
to come unto me,
and
forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
(Mark 10:14)
____________________
*Grandmahood is
a word I made up. You won’t find it in the dictionary.
**Saying by Dr. Bob Jones, Sr.
***Patch the Pirate
adventures are wonderful for children. You can order them at Majesty Music, www.majestymusic.com/patch-the-pirate.html
Congratulations, Grandma! :-)
ReplyDeleteSome years ago I saw somewhere - Dear Abby, maybe - a grandmother writing in to say that her granddaughter's other grandma on the other side of the family was more well-to-do and took the granddaughter shopping every time she visited. The granddaughter was beginning to expect the same thing from this lady, and she couldn't afford it, so she said, "She's the shopping Grandma, I'm the baking Grandma" and spent time in the kitchen with her granddaughter. I'm definitely going to be the reading Grandma! Though I am sure we'll do some baking and some crafts, too, as well as other things.
Great! My kids still remember my dad reading to them, even when they were older. I think I will be the reading and baking one. My own grandmother was a crafts grandma. I believe the key to being a good grandmother is time spent doing fun things together. Thank you for the congratulations. Our daughter deserves them the most. :o)
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