Grandparenting with Grace: The isolation of age with a young child

Thursday, September 8, 2011

I am so glad I am raising this precious grand-child. She is the sunshine in my life, yes, occasionally we have a cloudy, or stormy day. But, all in all we have a fun time loving one another's company and chattering all day long. I am once again used to non-stop questions and requests and truly am enjoying it. 

Today I am addressing the isolation faced by Grand-parents parenting their grand-children. The truth is, people my age just don't want to expend the energy it takes to be in the same room as small children. Oh they love their grand-children, but they send them home after awhile and can rest up for the next visit. You see, the constant chatter, activity, and physical and mental energy expended can be quite overwhelming for most people if it is ongoing. It takes conditioning and stamina to withstand the whirlwind kicked up by these young ones. Over and over I have heard, and I feel it, the isolation of standing in this gap alone. So, that is what this blog is for. Let's stand in it together. I plan on excitedly and happily facing life with my little sweetie. I am just going to eat my "Wheaties", get new running shoes, and stay in condition so I can run the race God has set before me, for however long He blesses me to do so.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1) "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.." (1 Corinthians 9:24). So I will be the only 52 year old at the parent child classes, and the only ancient lady standing on the sidelines cheering and jumping up and down as this child takes part in activities. So what, I can always claim dementia as my excuse for being odd. Who will argue? In reality, it is a difficult spot.  I am glad I chose to go back to school. It gives me a focus, broadens my frame of reference, will keep my mind sharp, and has given me a support system of people I have grown to trust and love. Everyone has struggles and often we cannot be right next to that person to help them through, so thank God for email, texting, the old-fashioned phone call, skype (which I do not know how to do yet) and most of all-prayer cover. I know I have been covered in prayer often and I thank those who love me enough to STOP and pray. Oh we get so busy and life is so filled with noise, but we must stop and pray.
James 5:13-16
"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective".

 God hears, but we must pray, we must ask in faith. We must spend time with the One Who so graciously provides us with the very breath we so unconsciously take in and breathe out every moment of every day. Amazing. Impossible to do on our own. If He can cause me to breathe, I know He cares about my inner needs and the isolation I feel at times.  I know He is honing me for something; I just must patiently wait and see. So, I will embrace it with excitement knowing my God IS amazing and can DO amazing things for those who patiently wait and believe.

I believe God places each of us in situations that grow us into what He has created us to be. If we are willing and listening we can have the time of our life in that place, even amidst the pain it brings. I am in this for the long haul, I've jumped in with both feet and whether I remain along the shoreline wading safely, am neck deep paddling frantically to keep my head up, or being pulled under by the rip tide, I will cling to the promises of God.
Jeremiah 29:11-12  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you