It is a crisp, cold, rainy Texas morning just before dawn. The
swishing of the tires on the wet streets alert my lyrical senses, determined to
sleep in, snuggling down deep into my bed covers I feel myself subconsciously
losing the battle for I am thoroughly inspired to get what is burning on the
inside on paper before my thoughts become scrambled. Having convinced myself; true, or not, when
the scrambling happens the authenticity is lost in the process recovery.
Tossing back the covers and climbing out of bed the battle to sleep in is a
thing of the past because what is burning within is far too precious to be
lost.
Why had I become so passionate about a mere word? Words give substance to our thoughts. Substance is life. A spoken word can build up as well as tear down. Okay, I admit say the word glue in itself and not a lot happens, however in her context along with the quickening in my spirit, I was stuck in a need to know status. No more dilemmas!
A former Pastor of our family; Johnny Butler was very conducive in encouraging me to trace the Greek of a word to understand it’s truest meaning. Referencing the new world encyclopedia, I found the Greek word and definition for glue: Ko’lla; glue + gen, collagen. Collagen is fibrous molecule that keeps our bones and tendons strong and it makes up nearly one third of all of the protein our body! I had arrived at my great Ah ha moment and a total blessing to my heart.
Okay, back to this collagen, making up nearly one third of the protein in our body. The fact is the conclusion of the entire matter is without this glue + gen; collagen, with great certainty our body would not be able to function. It is responsible for our tissues and bones; it is also responsible for our teeth, gums and our nervous system. Glue + gen is the glue that holds our body together and keeps us functioning in rhythmic flow of harmony. Through my granddaughter’s eyes I am that glue + gen; the functioning, harmony of our family. I am what she sees who hold us all together.
My granddaughter sees me. She knows me in my tired and badly in need of rest state, in my joy and laughter, in my energetic state and in my silence. She may well know be better than most! She sees exactly what I know in my heart, What I ask for in prayer; for God to show each of my children and grandchildren how much I value them, and how important being there for them is, even when it means sacrifice as at times it does.
Sacrifice is what we do for those we value. The reality is that giving up something we need for others can sometimes feel pained even so, it’s as it should be, because sacrifice is the means whereby one is able to make the choice to go beyond what we would otherwise do. It is going beyond a reasonable expectation. Making sacrifices for the people we love and value allow love to flow from our heart to theirs!
To my fourteen year old granddaughter I am the glue. It is an incredibly powerful adjective. I am the one who keeps us glued together! For the rest of my days her statement has set a greater challenge before me. A greater desire to be more to my children and grandchildren loving them harder than ever!
They are the most important reason in my life, second only to God that I am able to rise and shine facing each new day with a smile, ( and even when I am not) still declaring, life is good! Yes! Very good, in my otherwise imperfect PurrfextLife!
They are the words consisting of two short sweet
paragraphs saved on my personal laptop, titled; On the Way to San Marcos
(Texas). “Miss Wallace just as humble as can be, she is the one that keeps us
glued together. Yes, my grandmother, our entire family.” It took a minute to
realize they were words saved not by me, but instead by my 14 year old Granddaughter.
As it was my computer I was at first baffled however less confused I read on. She
is loving, caring, and always means the best, even when she’s tired and really
needs a rest. She loves all her family, friends are included too and when she’s
around no one can ever be blue, my grandmother.”
After reading these words for a brief second it was if I was
just discovering who I was to my family. I smiled, whispering a thank you
to God. It was obvious that my 14 year old granddaughter knew exactly who
I was. “She is the one that keeps us glued together.” I repeated her written
words out loud. She could have written; she is the one who holds us together,
or that keeps us together. The use of the word glued rather than holds are
keeps was contextually more powerful quickening my soul. Other synonyms came to
mind such as stick, bond and paste; all mediocre in comparison to my
granddaughters chosen word glue.
Even as I made my way downstairs to the kitchen the smile
still my face as the words replayed in my thoughts. Opening my laptop and
reading again as the aroma of freshly brewing dark roast coffee filled the
kitchen and soft raindrops splattered against the window. I read; “Miss
Wallace, just as humble as she can be. She is the one that keeps us glued
together.”
I thought of a few more synonyms; fasten, attached, join,
adhesive, still none of them rocked my core like the word glue. I became
quite determined to have a great ah ha moment. Looking up the definition of
glue, I learned that this gooey pasty stuff called glue is protein
gelatin. It is made by boiling collagenous animal parts in water. When
these substances are melted it becomes a strong adhesive, or glue. My quest is
not complete, the definition strong adhesive has me digging deeper. Often times
I don’t feel strong in the least. It is apparent to me my granddaughter doesn’t
know this.
Why had I become so passionate about a mere word? Words give substance to our thoughts. Substance is life. A spoken word can build up as well as tear down. Okay, I admit say the word glue in itself and not a lot happens, however in her context along with the quickening in my spirit, I was stuck in a need to know status. No more dilemmas!
A former Pastor of our family; Johnny Butler was very conducive in encouraging me to trace the Greek of a word to understand it’s truest meaning. Referencing the new world encyclopedia, I found the Greek word and definition for glue: Ko’lla; glue + gen, collagen. Collagen is fibrous molecule that keeps our bones and tendons strong and it makes up nearly one third of all of the protein our body! I had arrived at my great Ah ha moment and a total blessing to my heart.
Okay, back to this collagen, making up nearly one third of the protein in our body. The fact is the conclusion of the entire matter is without this glue + gen; collagen, with great certainty our body would not be able to function. It is responsible for our tissues and bones; it is also responsible for our teeth, gums and our nervous system. Glue + gen is the glue that holds our body together and keeps us functioning in rhythmic flow of harmony. Through my granddaughter’s eyes I am that glue + gen; the functioning, harmony of our family. I am what she sees who hold us all together.
My granddaughter sees me. She knows me in my tired and badly in need of rest state, in my joy and laughter, in my energetic state and in my silence. She may well know be better than most! She sees exactly what I know in my heart, What I ask for in prayer; for God to show each of my children and grandchildren how much I value them, and how important being there for them is, even when it means sacrifice as at times it does.
Sacrifice is what we do for those we value. The reality is that giving up something we need for others can sometimes feel pained even so, it’s as it should be, because sacrifice is the means whereby one is able to make the choice to go beyond what we would otherwise do. It is going beyond a reasonable expectation. Making sacrifices for the people we love and value allow love to flow from our heart to theirs!
I have often found myself stretched like a rubber
band, knowing it is okay. It is in those stretching times that I love my family
all the more. How is it possible to love past forever? I don’t have the answer.
I just do. I believe with all of my heart that I am challenged to the highest
calling; Parenting and with this to leave behind a legacy of the love not
without failure and fault but in spite of. How wonderful to know that it is
love that covers a multitude of sin. (1Peter 4:8)
Is it possible to add more to overflowing? Well it
seems that it is. As I am keying away, more Joy is added to the joy already
overflowing within. Yes! Joy comes to me in many different ways. The other
day it came in these words; “she is the one that keeps us glued together.”
To my fourteen year old granddaughter I am the glue. It is an incredibly powerful adjective. I am the one who keeps us glued together! For the rest of my days her statement has set a greater challenge before me. A greater desire to be more to my children and grandchildren loving them harder than ever!
They are the most important reason in my life, second only to God that I am able to rise and shine facing each new day with a smile, ( and even when I am not) still declaring, life is good! Yes! Very good, in my otherwise imperfect PurrfextLife!
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