Let The Little Children Come

One of the complete and utter JOYS of my life began eight years ago when my first grandchild Layne Brianna came into this world. My daughter, at the time, was living in Germany and it was six LONG months before I got to lay eyes, not to mention hands and lips, on my beautiful little Laynie Bug, as she has become affectionately known in our family.

Since then, I have been tremendously blessed with eight more grandchildren and this coming June, I will be able to add yet another to make an even ten. I can honestly say that having grandchildren tops my list of "great happenings in this life."  It makes every single teenage moment you go through with your own kids, every eye roll, every grounding....any and all things you just did not think you would possibly survive with your OWN kids....worth it.

There is finally that moment when you think..."They are just never going to grow up or they are never going to get where I am coming from....and then they go and do the unthinkable....they bless you with grandchildren.

My daughter Ryan and I often skype so that not only I can see MY baby face to face...but those beautiful grandchildren of mine. Several weeks ago, I had to have a couple of round places above my right eye shave biopsied and I will be the first to admit, I was very self conscious about it. I waited patiently (well, maybe not patiently...but, I did wait) for it to heal. I stayed in and didn't go out at all.  Yeah, yeah..."Vanity thy name is woman." Got it!

At last...it did heal. The scabbing came off and I was left with a couple of round pink areas. At least I could now cover it with makeup! I was beginning to feel pretty good about it. My daughter had seen me without the bandages during this time of healing, and she was very encouraging. However, I never had the bandage off while skyping...just didn't want my grandchildren to see it.

Ryan and I were skyping and little 3 year Emma Kaye (she was given her middle name after her very proud Grammy!) was sitting beside her mommy and ever so often she would say something to me. I had on makeup and my hair was fixed (and not just in a pony tail.) I was feeling pretty good. And then Emma asked THE question.  "Grammy, what are those things up on your eye?" My heart sank. I thought they were not so noticeable. I took a deep breath and explained to her what the small scars were and she smiled at me and then she said something that I will FOREVER remember because it melted this Grammy's heart....she said, "I wish I had two just like that Grammy."

Emma had a love so innocent and so pure and it ran so deep for her Grammy...it came from a place that we as adults, possibly never discover....that she wanted what I considered my "uglies" my "scars."  It didn't look hideous to her. She loved me and wanted what Grammy had. At THAT very moment, I realized that THIS is the reason God says "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  Children come from such a place of pureness. They love so deep and so unconditionally. They wear their little hearts on their sleeves. They LOVE the same way God loves.

God doesn't just want all our good....He wants to take our scars and our "uglies" and heal and restore. The other day while skyping with my little 3 year old granddaughter, God used her in a very special way to touch my heart.....those few sweet words she said to me...."I wish I had two just like that Grammy," went a long way in my healing....and not just my surface scars.

Thank you Lord....Laynie, Kenny, Zoe, Emma, Collin, Riley, Christian, Ava, Zachy and in June our new little granddaughter Mykah.....Let the little children continue to come to me!