Growing

My parents were missionaries in Japan.  We came to the States every 5 years.  My parents would have said "we come HOME every 5 years", but home to me was Japan.   My home was Aburatsu.

My home!

Because we didn't come to the States but every 5 years, whenever we visited people in the States, they would ALWAYS make the remark "My how you've grown!"  We always wanted to make a snarky comeback "Did you think we wouldn't grow?"  (however, my parents expected us to be polite.)  But what if over that period of time, I HAD stayed the same size?

First furlough 1956

Next furlough 1962

What if in 1962, I still looked and acted like a 2-year-old?

Children don't see themselves growing.  They might feel the growing pains that sometime accompany growing.  But they can't see themselves growing day by day.  But grandparents and others who haven't seen them for awhile will exclaim about how big they have grown.

Our grandchildren are growing and each time we see them, they are taller.  Their faces are thinning out and they are slowly growing out of childhood.  Sophia is really growing!  As tall as mom now, but her hips are higher and she will definitely outgrow mom!

In our pantry, we keep a height chart and when the grandchildren come, we measure how much they have grown!

There is a spiritual analogy here. Often, you will not see yourself growing in the faith.  But the more you spend time with the Lord, daily "feeding" on His Word, you WILL grow and others will see it!  Also, if you don't take time to be with Jesus, to talk with Him and listen to Him, becoming more mature in the faith, more like Christ, you will stunt your growth.

(my Dad's hands)

This last weekend when we were in Wisconsin, I was laying down with Claire at bedtime.  I read her a book.  Only one since it was past bedtime.  It was the 2nd night that it was late as she had gone to her sister's play that lasted so late so she was weepy anyway, but this night she just cried and cried.  She was upset because we were unexpectedly going to have to leave a day early to beat the snow storm that was approaching.  We would need to leave after church the next day.

She understood that it would be too dangerous to drive in a storm.  She relayed how they were almost in an accident when they visited here in December.  Some trucker was high on something and was doing dance moves while he drove around them on the shoulder.  Adam couldn't get over because another truck was in the left lane.   We thank the Lord for His protection!

Claire began to sob even harder and clung onto me as I hugged her.  "I wish you lived here!  Other kids at my school have their grandparents live in town.  And their cousins go to school with them.  I don't get to see my cousins hardly at all!"  I reminded her that her other grandparents did live close by.   I explained that Papa still had to work for a few more years.  But we see them a LOT, even though they live 12 hours away!  And I reminded her how when I was a kid I only saw my grandparents every 5 years.  In those days, you could not Facetime or telephone one another!  We wrote airmail letters that took over a week to arrive.  

Claire then relayed to me the story of when I was seven.  She had heard it before.   "When you were young, you didn't know what a grandparent was!"  That's right!  I was in the kitchen of our home in Aburatsu.  It was close to furlough and my mother was so excited!  "You will be able to see your grandparents!"  "What is a grandparent?" I asked.  I had no clue.  I didn't remember 1956-57 when we lived with our grandparents (half the year in Kansas in a 2 bedroom bungalow and half the year in Ohio with my mother's parents).  When my mother explained that her parents were my grandparents I remember being shocked.  "You have parents?!"  

Claire and I continued talking a little more.  The conversation went to heaven and how when we are both in heaven, we will  be able to see each other as much as we want!   

We sang (tune London Bridge):

          "Heaven is a happy place, happy place, happy place, 

           Heaven is a hapy place, Hallelujah!

          Heaven's streets are paved with gold, paved with gold, paved with gold,

          Heaven's streets are paved with gold, come go with me!

          There will be no crying there, crying there, crying there,

          There will be no crying there, Hallelujah!"

 

Speaking of heaven, here are 2 books that are such good reads!  The authors use the Scriptures to give insight into this most glorious place!  Another verse to the song above goes like this:

  

          Come go with me to that place, to that place, to that place

          Come go with me to that place, Come go with me!

We prayed together and soon she was falling asleep.  I lay there a little longer and tried to slip out of bed.  She turned around and hugged me around the neck and pulled me closer to her.  I waited until again her body began to jerk asleep.  As I slowly moved to as not disturb her, I heard her say 

"You can go."   

I guess she was no longer upset, but calm, settled and ready to sleep.