#204 "If We Could Only Believe"

I was able to spend Monday and Tuesday with my granddaughter, Ashton, while her parents were out of town. As I prepared for her arrival on Monday morning, I prayed for all of the usual things. I prayed that we would have a good time. I prayed for huge amounts of patience. I prayed for a quickening of my mortal body, which doesn't move as quickly as it used to when my own kids were three. I also prayed that somewhere, sometime, in the coming two days, I might be able to speak the name of Jesus to her.

I could have been one of those weird-o Christians, and when Ash handed me the red bottle of play ketchup, I could have said, "Oh, Ash! It reminds me of the blood of Jesus." Don't laugh. I've actually heard that one before in a restaurant. But I thought that was a little much for a toddler to absorb.

Instead, our days were filled with eating plastic food, coloring, and watching first-class children's TV (insert hint of sarcasm). We played inside. We played outside. We watched bugs and decided that they were really yucky. We filled the bird bath so the birds could be clean. We danced like ballerinas. We played golf in the yard and gave each other congratulations and gold medals. We watered the flowers and cut some for a mini-bouquet.


Barbies cried "Help" in their distress and were saved by Tinkerbells flying to the rescue. Baby dolls were fed and diapered. Friends were made at McDonald's and there was fun at the park with Pippy (aka Chuck). We ate together, pottied together and had a fun sleep-over in Gigi's bed. I'm still exhausted, but it was a wonderful couple of days.

About a half hour before Kelly and Dan came to pick her up, Ashton crawled up into my lap to snuggle and began to sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." When that was over she effortlessly transitioned into "Jesus Loves Me This I Know....." We sang it twice and my heart....oh, my heart.

We didn't need to spend time on theology lessons or Bible studies for three year old little girls during our time together. Ashton is secure in the love of her parents and her grandparents. But most importantly, even though she doesn't truly understand it all, she knows that there is Someone out there, and His name is Jesus, and He loves her. That's all she needs to know for now. My little Miss Ashton has already found the firm foundation on which to build her life.

Her little feet are already planted on a firm place. They will grow and so will she. Life will bring sunshine and storms, joys and sorrows, exhilarating happiness and deepest pains. But she already has the rock solid foundation on which to withstand any storm, trial or pain for the rest of her life. The Solid Rock of Jesus Christ.

So simple. So true. Jesus loves me. This I know. For the Bible tells me so. You know, if we who are grown could just get this. I mean, really get this. Jesus loves me. Yes! Jesus loves me. Yes! Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.

If we could believe this, maybe we would stop worrying so much, stop and smell the flowers, and cut bouquets. Maybe we would fill bird baths with water, and skip, and dance like ballerinas, and hold hands, and make friends with strangers, and cuddle, and sing. Maybe we would run as if we had wings.

But most of all, maybe we would really believe that there is Someone out there, and His name is Jesus, and He will always come to our rescue when we cry for help.