August 5, 2025

Dear Friends,

“Grampa, are you my grampa?”

“Can we go look at the flowers?”

“Can we go look at the bamatoes?”

“Are the fish sleeping under the rock?”

“Did you get these bamatoes from my daddy’s work? We have bamatoes from my daddy’s work in our back yard too!”

“Grampa, can we go look at the flowers again?” “You go. I’ll watch you look at them from my chair.” “But Grampa, I want you to go with me!”

“These rasbewees are really good! I like rasbewees! Do you like rasbewees, grampa?”

“Grampa, I will touch the water vewy quiet so I won’t wake the fish.”

“I almost fell in. That wouldn’t be good!”

While enjoying a family birthday celebration with my family on Sunday, I took a few moments to slip away from the hilarity, noise and activity, not expecting my youngest grandson, Davis, to follow me, or that the next hour would be spent in conversation that ranged throughout the topics above, and back again … and again … and again! It was absolutely delightful!

I’m smiling as I write this and reflect on that time. I’m also struck by how important my presence is to him. When his family arrived at Tim’s house — the party was there because of the rain showers that descended just before we were to start — and he saw Sharon as she brought some things there for the party, he asked her, “Is Grampa coming soon?” He waved to me from Tim’s back door as I cooked burgers on my smoker. The next thing I knew, he had his little rubber boots on and was accompanying Sharon across the bridge to our patio so he could give me a hug and begin the conversation.

After supper, when that memorable conversation transpired, he wanted me with him. I could have sat on my patio chair, some twenty feet from him while he toured our hanging flower pots and garden for yet another lap but he wouldn’t hear of it. “You come, too, Grampa!” And so I trudged around with him, lapping my yard much as some of the other grandkids were lapping the virtual track on the TV screen as they played Mario Cart. The same questions, the same observations, but always together.

“My presence shall go with you,” God assured Moses. “Do not fear, for I am with you.” God comforted Israel through the prophet. Again, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you …” Then later, while challenging an enemy, “… propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us.” The presence of God is the bedrock of our faith, the enduring reality in the midst of change, growth, and challenge. As we begin this new month, be encouraged by this truth and be challenged by it also. If God is with us, how shall we live?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to take another lap around the yard with Davis. Who knows, we may even see the fish in the pond if they wake up!

Blessings!

Doug