Gotta Grandpa?

What is a grandpa? In my Webster's it simply reads grandfather. When I looked up grandfather it read, "the father of one's father or mother". That might define what a grandfather is but I think a grandpa is something more than that. I'm certain we all have two grandfathers but very few of us have a grandpa.

I never had a grandpa. I never even laid eyes on my grandfathers. I missed that. I often wondered what they were like. I wanted to hear their stories and sit on their laps. I wanted to know them and be loved by them. I have often thought and daydreamed about what it would have been like if they were involved in my life. I believe a grandpa can impact a child in a way like no other.

This is what I think of when I hear the word Grandpa.

A man who always loves you and shows you his love in special ways.
A man who is full of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.
A man who encourages you always.
A man who supports you in all you do.
A man who always has a silver dollar in his pocket just for you.
A man who will make you laugh and always have a smile.
A man who will buy you ice cream.
A man who will hold your hand and walk by your side.
A man who makes you feel safe and secure wherever you are.
A man who will listen.
A man who will make you want to listen.
A man who will teach you things, both old and new.
A man who will play catch, wrestle, build sandcastles or allow you to dress him up or put makeup on him.
A man who will allow you to play in the dirt with your good clothes on.
A man who will teach you right from wrong.
A man who will discipline and direct in love.
A man who will read to you and watch your favorite movies with you 1,000 times over.
A man who will show you it's okay to cry.
A man who will pray for you and with you.
A man whose morals, values and standards are lived out with clarity and consistency.
A man who admits he has made mistakes and shares them.
A man who will eat your vegetables for you so you can have dessert.
A man who has a special drawer full of your favorite candy.
A man who has rough hands from work and a soft heart from Jesus.
A man who can keep a secret.
A man you can depend on.
A man you can trust.
A man you can't help but love, admire, and respect.

This is a short list of the many things that I believe defines the title of "Grandpa". Quite a resume to live up to. This was not modeled for me but it is what I always dreamed about having. It's my prayer I can be all these things and more when God blesses me with my first grandchild in January. I want to be the coolest grandpa ever.



Psalm 78:5-8 NIV

⁵ He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our forefathers
to teach their children,

⁶ so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.

⁷ Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.

⁸ They would not be like their forefathers—
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.

Rubber Band Man

I like rubber bands. I don't know why but I always have. I used to make rubber band balls when I was a kid. I always kept the ones they put around our newspapers. I still keep rubber bands when I find them. They are so useful for so many things. Sometimes I will just put one on my wrist for no reason. People always tell me I shouldn't do that but I don't know why. Sometimes I just like to mess with it in my hands. You know stretch it , snap it, or wrap it around my sausage-like fingers. Sometimes I like to shoot it at some unsuspecting target like my son. Other times I organize our junk drawer and wrap it around the 127 pens and pencils we have in there.

Rubber bands are versatile and flexible. They come in all sorts of colors. Some are big and thick some are small and thin. Some can be stretched far and some will break easily. They all have their purposes. The one thing that is true about all rubber bands is that they have no power and very little purpose or value until they are stretched. They have no power laying in the bag loose. When I stretch it though, I transfer my strength into the rubber band. It then has the power to move forward in whatever direction I aim it. The rubber band laying loose in the bag has no purpose until I take it out and stretch it around something. It exists and has potential in the bag but is not really fulfilling the purpose it was created for until it is stretched. I believe the same is true for me.

I like comfort. I like to hang out with my friends and people I'm comfortable with. I like my routine and doing the things I know I can do. I seem to think that me being comfortable should be a high priority in living my day to day life. I guess you could say that if I was a rubber band I would prefer to lie loose in the bag. Don't stretch me it makes me uncomfortable. Yet at the same time I profess how I want to grow in Christ and how I want to be used by God. God's power and my value as a tool to be used by Him is limited when I'm living loose in the bag. I'm not living out the purpose that I was created to live when I'm laying loose in the bag.

When I desire and allow God to stretch me I begin to grow. My world suddenly expands. It is no longer all about me. God's power is transferred into my spirit. I now have His power to move forward in the direction God wants to use me. My value for God's kingdom has just multiplied. I can now get closer to living out His purpose for my life. This is often very difficult and quite painful.

At times I have felt like God was going to stretch me until I snapped. God knows better. He created me. He knows how far I can be stretched and in what direction. I need to remain flexible. In one season I was stretched in one direction and the next season in a new direction. He knows the direction He wants to send me. He can choose to send me and use me in ways that I think I'm incapable. He made me versatile even though I can't see it. He created me with a certain color, size, shape and strength. It is a perfect design for the purpose He created me. I might not know or understand His ultimate purpose for my life but this much I know. I wasn't created to live loose in the bag. I need to be stretched. I'm a rubber band man.

NO FEAR

I want to say that I'm not afraid of anything-but that isn't true. My biggest fear is insignificance. I'm afraid of living a life that doesn't matter. I'm afraid of leaving this earth just as I found it. I'm afraid of my life coming to an end and then realizing I haven't really been living.

When I say "really living" I don't mean having all this adventure, fun, fame and money. I don't think it has much to do with that. I believe living a significant life is filling your life full of things that will last forever. The stuff I mentioned before won't last forever. It will all be gone at the end of your life if not before.

What will last forever? Truth, grace, mercy, forgiveness, compassion. All things I love to receive but often struggle with handing out. As I look at them I realize they are all characteristics of the greatest one that I didn't list. Love. The source and perfect giver of all of these is of course God.

If I want to live a life of significance I need to fill it with these attitudes and actions. (Not doing so hot right now) Have I made someone else's life better? If so I have done something eternal. Therefore if I am living a life of significance there will be lots of people in my life. (Why am I avoiding new people?) People are the only part of this world that will last forever.

As I have typed this it has become obvious that I am not doing what is required to get what I desire. Yet I know what it is that is required to accomplish what I desire. So why don't I do what I know is required to accomplish my desires? Wow! I think I just read Romans 7:15-20 in the KMV.

Bottom line is if I want to live a life of significance I need to love others and do whatever I can to make their lives better by living in the image of Christ.