So I thought
I had my summer planned out.
My lifestyle
has become somewhat nomadic over the last several years. I’ve been on the move a lot, seeing and
experiencing more of the world. The
freedom and increased independence is fun!
Maybe this is why I am attracted to pirates? Well, minus their black-hearted motives. But anyway, as I was saying….
Between
spending the summers serving families at His Ranch in Missouri, road trips with
friends, living in a small halfway house for a season, working and gaining a
circle of friends in a new town, a trip overseas, and moving back home
temporarily, life has been rich with
variety and adventures! There have been
some low spots. But for the most part, I
am enjoying life immensely! And yet
there are also plenty of times where I wonder if I seriously need to do the
responsible adult thing and stabilize in one place, become financially
independent, perhaps seek further education in order to pursue a career for a
more “secure” future. People I trust and
respect are on both sides of the issue.
I have a lot more thoughts on this subject which I hope to write in
another post, but for today…..
I want to
share about the new twist my road has taken for the next few months or so.
I’ve been
dreaming about resettling in another state eventually. So I thought the smart thing to do this
summer would be to work a better paying job and save money towards the goal of
financial independence whenever I decide to make my move. As much as I love the ranch ministry, I could
never decide if that is where my heart wants to stay for the long haul. So without closing the door on that chapter
of my life altogether, I decided a year’s hiatus was in order. I’d been working at a former job for the last
several months, but had plans to find something different for the summer. In a perfect world, it would be a job more
conducive to my financial goals, while at the same time allowing me the freedom
to leave in six to eight months!
Someone gave
me the idea of looking for seasonal jobs with the area state park or metro-park system. That sounded like an agreeable
possibility to me, so I began to pursue a few leads. I had actually been contacted about setting
up an interview with a company that trains and hires lifeguards…one of those
things I always thought would be a cool job!
And then God
threw in the twist.
My
grandparents have been dealing with mounting health issues, as well as some
other things that were increasingly concerning our family. Things came to a head a few months ago when
my grandpa’s stubborn skin rash on his leg turned out to be a serious internal
infection which spread to his foot and culminated with gangrene in a couple of
his toes! The doctor who finally discovered
the real problem wanted to take immediate action, which initially meant surgery
to insert multiple stents in both legs to try to improve his poor
circulation. The first thing needed to
heal an infection is healthy blood flow to the affected area. However, the stents have not helped as much
as they had hoped, and the infection had already gone so far that it is likely
he will face amputation of the toes, at the very least.
They live
independently in a retirement community, but now the need is evident for them
to either transition into assisted living or another situation where they have
someone nearby to help them. Several
options were being explored, but it just wasn’t a good time for them to make a
move. It would have to be a rushed
decision, and there would be all their belongings to deal with, not to mention
the physical stress on my grandpa who is already weak.
So another
option that was put on the table, kind of as a long-shot, was the question of
whether any of the grandchildren might be looking for a change of scenery and
available to move into the area temporarily as a personal assistant to our
grandparents. And just at the time I was
about to begin pursuing new employment options, I got a message from a family
member asking if I would possibly consider doing this!
To shorten
the story a bit, within about two weeks, no better options had really
presented, and I had become convinced after praying and talking things over
with family that this was the right course of action for me to take.
You would
think I’d be pretty good at this pack up and move thing by now….well, not
exactly. For some reason it always turns
out a lot harder than I think it should be!
More time consuming! More
stressful! More distracting! But I’ve done it before, and I did it again.
I quit my
job, packed up my important stuff, and moved to northwest Maryland to live with
my other grandpa, who is close enough for the daily commute to the retirement
village in Pennsylvania.
And here I
am until further notice!
It’s a
pretty great deal, actually. I get my
own room…I can clean the house and it won’t be messed up within a day by half a
dozen people… I get to spend time with family I normally only see once or twice
a year…I’m close to mountains…and I have a totally flexible schedule to
boot! My financial needs are being met
as part of the arrangement. So my “job”
now is that I get to hang out with my grandparents, listen to their stories,
feed them goodies, clean their house, play their piano, take them out in the
sunshine, play in the dirt under the auspices of gardening, and just generally
enjoy the challenge of making their lives more pleasant and care free! I can make my own schedule, I’m not stuck in
a mall under artificial lights all summer long (freedom!!!), and there’s lots
of scope for finding adventures around these parts…think mountains, think the
coast is only a few hours away….
With all
this, of greatest value is the privilege of just being there for some of the
most important people in my life. I
would not be here without my grandparents.
They had a huge hand in making me who I am. Do you want to know the best part about
that? They have given me a wonderful
heritage. It is a heritage of strong
faith in Jesus Christ and the freedom gained through the truth of His Word made
living and active in me, first through the influence of my grandparents in the
way they raised their children, and secondly through my parents who have
carried on that legacy.
God revealed
to me that serving my grandparents now is a privilege and a small way that I
can honor and thank them for the way their lives have imprinted on mine. They gave themselves as living sacrifices to
God, to our family, and to the church families they served for decades as
pastor. Their lives are full of
richness; their memories, though fading, are filled with stories. Sure, life has been tough, and our family has
brokenness just like every family….but let the fruit of the tree speak for
itself. My grandparents’ two lives have
multiplied into 21 grandchildren….most of whom are actively seeking and
following Jesus today!
My
grandparents may not be rich, famous, or successful by worldly standards, but
in my eyes they are great. This time
with them in their sunset years is precious to me.
Your legacy
is the most valuable treasure you can leave to those who come behind you. I want to remember that.
Psalm
16:6 “The lines have fallen for me in
pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.”
