As we get older, we tend to look back more so than ahead. We tend to dwell on better times when life was not so stressful and uncertain. For those of us who are blessed with grand kids we spend a lot of our time watching them grow and praying they make good choices as they venture out into the world. If they knew half of what we’ve learned, would it make any difference?
Remember when we couldn’t wait to grow up? Turning eighteen and going out on your own was the goal of most, especially when my own kids were growing up…and go out they did. Now it’s their turn to experience that empty nest feeling, as each one of them have an 18-year-old, eager to test their wings and fly alone.
Our one grandson is into cars, and actually owned two of them. Not long ago, he decided to sell the one and fix the other one up, so he would have one good car. He got an offer for less money than what he was asking for the car, but the person buying it promised to do some of the ‘fixing up’ on his other car, which sounded like a good deal… But he didn’t know the guy; could he trust him? He asked his mom’s advice and she told him the decision was his to make.
He took the offer, then called his mom to tell her what he’d done. “I’ll be home soon,” he told her, “when I get myself calmed down.”
“Why do you need to calm down?” she asked him. “What happened?”
“I just made my first real adult decision,” he told her. This stuff is hard, not knowing if I’m doing the right thing or not, so I need a minute.”
We all laughed at this reaction, but I was so proud to see that doing the right thing was so important to him.
It brings to mind the verse in 1 Cor. 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
The decision my grandson faced was not a spiritual one, but his response gives me hope that when a spiritual decision is needed, he will take it very seriously and make the right one. Watching them grow is a grandma’s greatest pass-time…and seeing them make good decisions, her greatest joy.
As a young man, Jesus was eager to get started with His ministry. The proof of this is found in Luke 2:41-52. Jesus was only 12 years old when he traveled with his family to Jerusalem. Without getting His parent’s permission, He went to the temple and talked to the teachers there, listening to them and asking questions. Mary and Joseph searched for Him for three days before finding Him. “Son,” Mary said to Him, “why have you worried us like this? We searched for you everywhere!”
Jesus said to them, “Why did you look for me? Didn’t you know I must be about my Father’s business?”
Today’s world is a scary place and adult decisions are sometimes hard to make. Jesus went home with His parents and “increased in stature and wisdom” before He was ready to start His ministry. I’m sure the human side of Him grew impatient often, as children today do. We can take comfort in the verse:
Prov. 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
