Our year old granddaughter is definitely in travel mode these days. One of the best parts of being nearby as she discovers the big new world around her is to see her smile and hear her giggle.
As she toddles—up, down, over, and under whatever is in her path—she advances a few steps unassisted, yet on occasion, goes boom on her bum. The good news is her play area is padded with carpet, plenty of soft protectors on table legs, and kid-proof locks on cabinets and drawers. Even so, when she stumbles into something or falls, both my beloved and I are quick to assess the situation. More often than not, her cries are from the surprise and suddenness of her descent to the floor.
As I have watched her over these many weeks and months, I have wished at times I could protect her from the bumps and knocks that come with being a child. To say nothing of those that will impact her life as a young woman and beyond. I’m sure we are not the only grandparents [or parents] who have those same thoughts.
Nonetheless, what will I do? The best I can to teach her to love God and develop a relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. To instill in her the Truth that the Trinity will always have her best interests at heart and be there through the good times as well as the difficulties and challenges.
We can convey this message with words. However, I have lived long enough to know the best guidance we can provide is to live by example what we profess to believe. If our day-to-day actions and behaviors aren’t grounded in Scripture or Christ-like principles we may as well keep quiet. As the saying goes, ‘our walk must match our talk.’
While I won’t always be nearby as this precious little one grows up and becomes all God has created her to be, I can help her learn early on that the Divine will always be there to pick her up, heal her wounds, and set her back on the path. Hopefully, that is a lifestyle of trust grandpa and I can model for her with each unfolding day.
