Grandchildren

Two years ago today I rested in a Manila hotel room feeling ill.  Martha and Philip were in a room across the hall.  The 3 of us had plane tickets scheduled to leave for Texas the next day.  The pandemic was still in the early crisis stage and all medical exams in the Philippines were prioritizing Covid related illnesses.   But I didn’t need a CT scan to tell me that my cancer was spreading and that it was time for me to return home and prepare for my last days.  That was 2 years ago.

Lo and behold, I’m still here.  I’m surprised as anyone that my cancer has not yet invaded vital organs to the point of causing major symptoms.  It will happen; I just don’t know when.  For the month of June, I felt well enough to spend 3 weeks in the home of Daniel and Hannah, taking care of little Nathaniel (now 7 months old) while his parents worked at their respective Texas state parks.  They could not find a babysitter for the month of June, so I offered my feeble services.  Nathaniel survived.  I only got his diaper on backwards one time.

At age 64, it has become clear to me why, I think, parenting should end no later than your 50’s.  My aged body just doesn’t have the stamina and agility to keep a lively baby boy entertained all day.  Of course, I haven’t been taking good care of my health for the past couple of years.  Didn’t think I needed to.  I’ve heard that a grandfather is supposed to enjoy his grandchild and then, when the grandfather gets tired, hand him back to the parents.  But by 8 a.m. each morning, after I had Nathaniel for 30 minutes, Hannah and Daniel were already gone!  And they didn’t return home to around 5 p.m.  Oh, my! 

Well, I’m glad I’ve been around long enough to enjoy my grandchildren, Christy, Amy, and Nathaniel, and take some pictures by which they can remember me.  In other family news, David preached on Father’s Day at a local international Nepalese church and Sara spent last week as a counselor at our church youth camp.  “I have no greater joy than to hear of my children walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4). 

I hope you are finding ways to survive the summer heat.  Let me take this opportunity to say, Thank You, for reading these updates and praying for my family.  I am so grateful to be a part of God’s forever family and I’m super blessed that you are a part of it, too.  May His grace and joy be yours in abundance!