A Crown of Glory

Proverbs 17:6: "Children's children are the crown of old men."
"The glory of young men is their strength and the beauty of old men is the gray head." Prov. 20:29
"The hoary head is a crown of glory." Prov.16:31

We just returned from a camping trip with 8 of our 10 grandchildren at the lake. What an experience!  The grandchildren's ages ranged from 8-16. A lively  bunch to say the least! I was grateful for the five adults who spent a lot if time "counting heads"!

I spent my time on the shoreline watching their antics in the water with a raised brow! Not to mention their wild rides on the inner tube behind the ski boat which kept them airborne much more than I was comfortable with!

But just being with them made me feel like a Queen!  I truly felt honored that they wanted to be with their grandparents. Their hugs and their teasing were like gems in my crown.

As Toney and I observed their tirelessness and energy, we felt like we were aging just watching them! They tussled, swam, dove, jumped and kicked for hours. Reluctantly, they'd climb out of the water, gulp down some food and hit it again!  We were falling into bed at night and I think they would never have stopped!

I was amazed at their strength and stamina and I was trying to pull up memories of the past when I was that empowered!  And yes, I can remember making my parents shake their heads at the strength of youth!

That strength is their glory and what makes them shine. They wouldn't be youth if they didn't feel it!  The good thing is that I don't have to feel envious that I am not them. My glory lies in my experience and my gray hair. Its an honor to have been there and done that!  Yet, I'm comfortable where I am. My crown feels good just because my children's children bring me joy and comfort.

I missed my two youngest grandchildren. But I knew them to be much too young to have kept the pace of their cousins on this excursion! They give me a different kind of joy: their total dependency on adults protecting and loving them! I like it that I sometimes get to be that kind of presence in their lives. As tiring as that is, I feel safe keeping them safe. I was content with pictures and texts and knowing they were a thousand miles away from this wild adventure!

Not so with the older ones! My weariness came from wishing I could make certain they were safe.  I was pretty sure there was alot of the time, that wasn't a certainty:)

From my chair throne on the shore of the lake, I went from pride at their abilities and agile maneuvers to being scared to death of where that was taking them to joy at their enthusiasm and laughter.

This week, I celebrate another birthday. I am joyful that I have a crown upon my head. I feel honored that God has allowed   me to interact with my grandchildren. I had to leave most of them in different states. Eight live in three different states and I am often tearful at that fact. I miss their hugs. But today I feel honored that I can spend time with them whenever I can. I feel loved and cherished by all of them.

I'm pretty sure another year will bring more gray hair. It doesn't bother me. God is good.