My last grandchild stood beside me in the twilight.
I had not even dared to hope this moment could be.
Thinking we would not be able to recapture the strong
bond of love that existed before a long seperation of
nearly a year, I was in possession of a very grateful heart.
What is that amount of time to a 3 year old?
To my astonishment there had been a tremendous recovery.
I was so thankful for the freedom that was there between us.
She looked at my old face, felt my sagging neck skin and asked,
“Grandma, will I look like you when I am old?” That one took
me completely by surprise and I wondered if she “hoped not.”
Then later, she bowled me over, with “Grandma, you’re pretty.”
Not many people ever told me that! We began to talk about
“Pretty IS as pretty DOES”, how the outside gets wrinkled and
spotted, but the inside beauty stays.
So, there we stood in the twilight - the first stars beginning to
show through the blue. She squeezed my hand...three times -
(I...Love...You...) and I squeezed back. “Grandma,...you
know why I love to come here?”
“No, honey, why?”
“Because you’re here.” (Talk about melting an ice berg!)
Throughout the next few days I worked that over in my mind.
I used to have things under control....beautiful manicured lawn,
pretty pots of flowers, fertilized and watered trees, but that was
long before my husband became so ill about 20 years ago,
and my youngest son, disabled from a doctor’s error for 12 years.
I did still have the swing the children had loved so much. It made
my heart glad that she could look over the lack...and catch the best
I could give now.
Then I thought of Jesus...my many conversations with her about Him.
I heard my heart saying, “Lord, do You know why I come to this
little church? Because YOU’RE here....Do you know why I spend
time in my Bible? Because You occupy the pages, Your tender spirit
is in every page!
“Because YOU’RE there”.....Why I seek a quiet place?...A certain
friend? Certain music”?
“Because You’re here”...she touched my heart. One blessing for
this time when I’m too old to cut the trees, water the grass, keep order.
Just old enough to appreciate three little squeezes and three little words....
”Because you’re here.”
Joan Clifton Costner
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