Monday Morning Memo: They Are Watching

Well the date is set.  Two weeks from today I will enter the hospital to have my third fusion and fifth back surgery.  I have been having a lot of lower back pain again and we were fairly certain that something had gone wrong.  An MRI gave us answers: my spine has shifted forward above my lower prior fusion.  So my doctor will just hook this fusion onto the old one, attach two more screws, do some grafting and I should be ready for my recovery time.

Even though I am not looking forward to another surgery and recovery, I am anxious to get it done.  More than likely, there won’t be anything too enjoyable about it, but this time of waiting isn’t too fun either.  I am restricted on what I can do and have to be careful how I move and one of the worst things is that I can’t pick up my grandchildren.

We were blessed to have our grandsons stay with us this past week.  Their parents had planned this trip before my back worsened and had asked us to keep the boys.  We really wanted them to stay with us, so we decided that as long as Dan was here to do all the lifting we would get along fine.  Then when Dan had to be gone working, our wonderful daughter-in-law offered to take them to finish up the week.

Zeke, our 18-month-old grandson, had no clue why Grandma couldn’t pick him up, but Elias, the three year old was full of questions.  Why can’t you pick Zeke up?  Why are you wearing that thing (my back brace)?  Why are you lying on the couch?  I answered his questions and his response was precious.  He said, “Mommy rubs my back when it hurts.  Do you want me to rub your back so it will feel better?”  Who could turn that offer down?!

The next day we were sitting at the table and as always, Dan asked Eli if he wanted to pray for our meal or if he wanted Grandpa to pray.  Eli thought a minute and said, “I want to pray and I want to pray for Grandma’s back.”  Tears filled my eyes as he folded his hands, bowed his head and asked Jesus to help my back to feel better.   

At three, Eli is learning that Jesus cares about us.  He is learning that Jesus wants to hear our requests, not just for ourselves, but for others too.  And he is also learning that sometimes we need to be “Jesus with skin on” and physically touch someone to help ease their pain.  He doesn’t realize he is learning all of this; he has just been blessed to see this lived out in others who are pouring into his young life.

I think it is easy for all of us to forget that we are being watched by those who are coming behind us.  They are observing how we act and react to everything that life throws at us and there is a good chance that they will in turn, act and react the way we do.  I think we often think that teaching them has to be a structured setting, but they often pick up more from us just watching us day in and day out.  Deuteronomy 6:6-7 tells us, “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”  In other words, they are learning from us as we do life together.   

If you aren’t a parent or grandparent, you may want to consider getting involved in a mentoring program in your church or community.  There are so many children today who need someone to pour love and guidance into their lives.  Again, you don’t need to take them to an organized day of teaching.  They just need you to be with them, showing them what it looks like to be a devoted follower of Jesus today and in the days to come.