Teeing It Up
I’m not a golfer, but the experience of a driving range with friends is so fun. I love that crack of a solid connect on the ball. Granted, most of my swings shank left and right, or miss altogether, but the ones with a clean connect are thrilling.
In this season, it feels great when our kids choose to spend time with us. I know it feels doubly so for my parents. This year for Christmas my daughter chose to give her grandparents each the unique experience of time out at a favorite place.
My mother redeemed that gift recently and Abbey picked her up for a little shopping and breakfast at a delicious morning spot on our side of town, The Sleepy Bee.
This 86 year-old extrovert, with stream of consciousness conversational gifts, was excited to try out a new menu with her granddaughter. She doesn’t get out as much these days, so, time alone, talking with grandkids is a treasure. She happily filled the moments with funny stories about anything that popped to mind, and Abbey was happy to listen, laugh, and decipher when names and places collided and came out jumbled. That just adds to the hilarity of it all, and never stops Mom’s enthusiasm. She often catches herself, saying, “Now, where was I going with that?”
In the middle of it all, their server came up, and her attention turned to him. His name was Isaac, but she kept calling him Isaiah. Undeterred, she asked him if he had a grandma. Sadly, he replied that he didn’t. “Well, I tell you what you should do,” she replied, “You need to adopt one and then take her out for brunch, because she’d love it.” She was obviously happy to be out with her granddaughter. It was a cute exchange, one that continued each time he passed by or checked in. He’d stop and say, “Is everything alright, Grandma?” and she’d reply, “Delightful, Isaiah.”
The meal was delicious, the conversation wonderful and the quips between Mom and Isaac were sweet, too. So, when he brought the check over, Grandma waxed on a bit about how life was all about loving people and living well. That showing grace and kindness to people is what God created us to do. The love of the Lord was bubbling out and she didn’t even know it.
I remembered a conversation we had had in her kitchen weeks before, where she confessed to feeling not very useful to the Lord. “I hardly see anyone, I do pray as things strike me, I guess that’s all I can do.” God listened in and planned some fun.
That’s when it happened. The ball was put on the tee.
After listening to Mom share, Isaac asked, “Are you born again?” Well, isn’t that interesting? You don’t hear many people using that terminology these days, but it was perfect for my mother’s ear.
She brightened right up, saying, “Why yes, yes, I am! Are you?”
He replied, “Well, I’m still kind of working that out, to tell you the truth.” He was so kind and began to open up to her. Mom just overflowed with the love of God for him. “Well, you’re heading in the right direction,” she said. “Keep asking those questions. At the end of the day, you need to know that you are loved and there’s a plan for you.” Her words rose up easily and boldly; something clearly different was going on. Everyone could feel it.
He was noticeably moved by the exchange and would have lingered longer were he not pulled away. They made their friendly goodbyes and moved on.
Afterwards, in the car, Mom was so excited that the Lord had opened that door for her. “Now just to be sure, he was the one who asked me, correct?”
“Yes, indeed,” Abbey said.
“Wow, and God let me share with him.” She immediately burst into a prayer as she often does, blessing Isaac, saying, “God, continue to soften Isaiah’s heart and draw him to yourself, and thank you for using me in it today." (She still called him by the wrong name. God wasn’t confused. )
God woke you up this morning because He wants you here. He put breath in your lungs, so give Him praise! He has prepared good works for you in advance, so seek them out, pray them in, and feel your purpose.
God is listening in and teeing you up. The question is, will you take the swing?