A Grandpa's Love

One of life's most unique and fascinating qualities is its ability to take us utterly and completely by surprise. I don't mean the routine surprises that daily populate our walk in this world; flat tires, birthday presents, bounced checks, sudden vistas or the lost dollar in a pocket fresh from the dryer...such things are common and rarely elicit more than our raised eyebrow in response. What I'm referring to are those "through the looking-glass" experiences which change us and redefine our understanding of self and the universe around us..."Aha moments" from which there is no return or unknowing.

There is a "surprise" which has stolen upon my awareness in recent years. In turning this new outlook over and over in my mind, I have concluded that it has changed my understanding of life more than any experience I've had since the Lord breathed forgiveness into my heart almost forty years ago. So, fresh from a Thanksgiving visit with family far away, I can now say that my knowledge and relational understanding of God the Father has been forever and fundamentally changed by my grandchildren.

Don't get me wrong, there was much loving pleasure and enjoyment in being a parent (even as step-dad to a rambunctious teenager). But my experience of parenting was fraught with the tensions occasioned by uncertainty, inexperience and a deep sense of responsibility for the final outcome (Is this the right form of discipline? Am I being fair? How much supervision is healthy and godly? How do I set limits?). It turned out well in the end of course, but the complexity of that relationship crept in upon and colored my understanding of the Lord's love for me...my experiential knowledge of paternal love seemed "too busy" to be truly unconditional.

How delicious of Him to reveal the reality of His love through the two little wild men who have redecorated the rooms of my soul these seven years past. Not only am I free to enjoy their discoveries, adventures and experiments without anxiety or judgment (provided they don't involve chemicals, weapons, high voltage or explosives), I am made childlike again by the pristine wonder of their new words and fresh understandings (often requiring lengthy explanations for poor old Grandpa's benefit). My experience of their love is one of the purest and most unalloyed sources of pleasure I have ever encountered.

My love for them is of a quality that I would have trouble comparing to anything else. It's not cluttered with the "expectations" that seem to characterize my love for adult friends and family. It is without stain or complication; like a ferocious gravity that draws my heart irresistibly to theirs. It occurs to me that if my weak, fallen, carnal human heart is capable of such luminous and unrestrained love towards these noisy, dusty, rowdy, fractious workers of pint-sized mischief...what must my infinitely wise and loving Heavenly Father feel for me?

I needn't meditate long on this before I'm tempted to believe that I might almost understand the power of the love that drew Jesus to the Cross. Such knowledge is too wonderful to understand...it changes the universe I live in. My prayer dear Christian, is that you too might rest unafraid in the boundless love of your Father and Creator...in His perfect heart, you and I are cherished.

Pastor Matt