Third Sunday of Easter, April 14, 2024
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
One Saturday in Austin
If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the plane is about to take off.”
For two years, or three, we’ve listened to our toy jet plane come to life on its own in our closet. Yesterday, at last, we came to an agreement with one of the plane’s pilots (Jasper) that it’s time to say goodbye. So we thought, well, we’ll save the new as yet unknown owners from the same unwanted refrain.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the plane is about to land.”
But, and perhaps this has happened to you, we couldn’t find the batteries! Instructions on the box were incomplete. Several doors with tiny screws were NOT the battery compartment. As we moved the plane around, its soundtrack came on again and again. Will this plane ever take off? Will this plane ever land? Can this plane ever be quiet?
At last we found the right compartment and removed three AA batteries. Blessed silence. Pull the wings off, put all the parts in the box. I wonder if it will make it out the door.
I like down in sleep, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Miles arrived as we finished this airplane’s funeral. He spent the day playing five games of chess at a local tournament for kids, won some and lost some, and along with his friend from school, had a great time. I was with him in the morning, and his friend’s dad and I paired up with the kids to play some team chess. A lot of talking back and forth. I’ve never done that before, so much fun.
Whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.
Aki spent the weekend at a men’s retreat sponsored by our church. Andi took the boys to Dairy Queen for dinner, after Miles’ long day at the chess tournament.
I love sharing all these simple sweet stories from one Saturday in April. I think being grandparents (and we’ve had fifteen years to work on this) can be difficult, but mostly it’s just pure joy. Helping our kids, playing with our grandkids, teaching, praying, showing them what we have learned ourselves, sometimes from our parents, or our own grandparents, and over several generations, from one century to the next … pretty wonderful.
While they were still speaking about this he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
I know so many stories about children, parents and grandparents that do not sound like this. We owe so much to Chris and Melissa, and Andi and Aki for trusting us to spend time with their beloved. Every day we are blessed and feel God’s grace in the midst of all of us.
Know that the Lord does wonders for his faithful ones; the Lord will hear us when we call upon him.
(Acts 3, Psalm 4, 1 John 2, Luke 24)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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