A God of Second Chances
Christmas is about second chances.
Tonight after I got off of work, I met my dad at the assisted living center where my grandparents currently live. It's a nice place that smells like yummy Christmas candles and not like "fart bags" as my dad says. I've actually never seen a fart bag per say. Apparently they're not pleasant. As I walked up the stairs past the receptionist desk I saw an old man in a wheelchair point to me and say giggling to the receptionist, "There's my wife." The receptionist just laughed and said, "Oh yeah? It doesn't look like your wife recognized you, Harold." I couldn't resist. I stopped, leaned over the banister and winked at Harold and said, "I remember you." Did I just shamelessly flirt with an eighty-year-old?! You only live once.
We ate cheeseburgers at a new restaurant in Salt Lake. Grandma, who is suffering from Alzheimer's, was giddy about seeing each other "after so many years" and "going out on the town" together. After dinner, we went back to the center to sit and talk in grandpa's room. Grandpa Holding has been a nonreligious man his whole life. He swears like a sailor and has always hated talking about religion. We've all prayed for years that somehow, someday something will touch his heart. That hasn't happened completely yet, but I feel that that day is coming. There's a former mission president that lives in the assisted living center with grandma and grandpa. My grandpa always talks about how genuine and kind this man is. Grandpa non-nonchalantly mentioned tonight that his friend is teaching him the "lessons" every morning at breakfast and that he's currently learning about angels. I've never heard my grandpa mention God except for when he's cursing. Tonight he said in a simple way that he has been asking "angels" for help when his body doesn't feel good. I'm grateful to this good and genuine man who has befriended my grandpa. I don't know if my grandpa will have a change of heart in this life, but I know that God is a God of second chances and no matter how long we've been on the wrong path, no matter how hard we pretend to be callused and uninterested, He just keeps trying.
Thank God for second chances.
Tonight after I got off of work, I met my dad at the assisted living center where my grandparents currently live. It's a nice place that smells like yummy Christmas candles and not like "fart bags" as my dad says. I've actually never seen a fart bag per say. Apparently they're not pleasant. As I walked up the stairs past the receptionist desk I saw an old man in a wheelchair point to me and say giggling to the receptionist, "There's my wife." The receptionist just laughed and said, "Oh yeah? It doesn't look like your wife recognized you, Harold." I couldn't resist. I stopped, leaned over the banister and winked at Harold and said, "I remember you." Did I just shamelessly flirt with an eighty-year-old?! You only live once.
We ate cheeseburgers at a new restaurant in Salt Lake. Grandma, who is suffering from Alzheimer's, was giddy about seeing each other "after so many years" and "going out on the town" together. After dinner, we went back to the center to sit and talk in grandpa's room. Grandpa Holding has been a nonreligious man his whole life. He swears like a sailor and has always hated talking about religion. We've all prayed for years that somehow, someday something will touch his heart. That hasn't happened completely yet, but I feel that that day is coming. There's a former mission president that lives in the assisted living center with grandma and grandpa. My grandpa always talks about how genuine and kind this man is. Grandpa non-nonchalantly mentioned tonight that his friend is teaching him the "lessons" every morning at breakfast and that he's currently learning about angels. I've never heard my grandpa mention God except for when he's cursing. Tonight he said in a simple way that he has been asking "angels" for help when his body doesn't feel good. I'm grateful to this good and genuine man who has befriended my grandpa. I don't know if my grandpa will have a change of heart in this life, but I know that God is a God of second chances and no matter how long we've been on the wrong path, no matter how hard we pretend to be callused and uninterested, He just keeps trying.
Thank God for second chances.
Comments
I love that your Grandpa is making small changes. At such an old age it is hard for some people to think they have anything more to learn. Good for him and thank heavens for a wonderful mission president/old person :-) that can touch his life.
You always have such inspiring thoughts and stories - thanks for sharing! Love you sis!