Thursday, July 30, 2009

Grandfather

Grandfather.
Grandpa.
When I’m small ‘Grandpa’ is
A welcome smile
A hearty laugh
A scruffy kiss
A big hug – trying so hard to get my little arms around him.

He loved to give
Great joy in generosity
Sometimes I played a game with myself
Can I escape his presence without receiving some kind of gift?
Ah, but he was stout-hearted
Resolute determination to give
He and his wife conspired in this effort,
Resorting at times even to trickery.
It was a game I never won
Or always won, as the case may be.

Grandpa.
When I’m grown ‘Grandpa’ is
A welcome smile
A hearty laugh
A scruffy kiss
A big hug

His voice was wisdom.
I remember listening – just listening
To him reflect openly on a life
Three times longer than mine
His advice to simply follow Jesus
His faith as straightforward as his prayers –
Talking to his Master and Friend
Always confident that the God
Who had so dramatically transformed his life
Would hear, and answer.

That’s Grandpa.
We miss him now.
We celebrate the truth
He’s not missing this old world.
But we wait for the day
We see him again
His welcome smile
His hearty laugh
His scruffy kiss
And finally, that great big Grandpa hug.

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