By Corrine S. Elkins
Did you know that over four million grandmothers in the United States are the primary caregivers of their grandchildren?
That does not include the large numbers who provide day care or week-end support. However, the time can be well spent by the grandmothers in reading to them beautiful Bible stories, instilling in them wonderful Christian principles, and teaching about the beauties of heaven. The children of Israel were admonished to teach their children diligently when they sat in their houses, when they walked by the way, when they layed down and when they rose up (Deut. 6:7). Some grandparents do not live near their grandchildren, so the teaching may have to be done by cards, letters, phone or sending tapes.
Grandparents usually have more patience. The parents should be the disciplinarians. It’s a grandmother’s job to reinforce the teaching. A grandparent should form a close bond with the grandchildren so they feel comfortable discussing important topics. When they come to you with hurt feelings or were overlooked for something they thought they deserved, use this experience to teach them God will treat everyone fairly. He will give them a crown that will outshine any award this world has to offer. If you see a new beautiful house being built, remind them Jesus has gone back to heaven to prepare a more beautiful place for you. Tell them at some point you will go there to live and will wait for them so you can be together forever. Assure them of your love and that they are your greatest treasure. Tell them God loves them and has even more and better treasures in heaven (Col. 2:3).
The Spring is a wonderful time to teach grandchildren about the changes that take place in death. The tiny bulbs and seeds we plant, with proper care, come up and bloom with beautiful flowers. So it is with heaven. God is going to change us quickly and give us a body that will never die (Phil. 3:21). Some flowers are cut early and some are left to die on the stem. Whatever the situation, God is in control; He loves us and is working everything out for our good (Rom. 8:28).
On December 25, 2005 our granddaughter was baptized. It was a day of rejoicing for us. She asked of my husband Garland, “Grand, will you baptize me?” She wanted to go to heaven. It’s difficult to explain fully to a young child the glory of heaven. For example, if we read to them of the streets of gold, they may think of a paved playground (Rev. 22:1-5). If we say God has prepared a mansion for us, they may think of a castle sparkling with glitter. However, we must convey that heaven is a place of beauty. You can run fast there and not fall down and skin your knees! There will not be any pain or sickness there. It is a place of rest, we will not get hungry or thirsty, nor will we be afraid—for there is no night there. Heaven will be filled with beautiful singing and we will have every need supplied. The angels will safely carry us and we will sail through the air as one on a magic carpet.
In the book of Ruth we have the story of Naomi losing her husband and both of her sons. But in the end she is abundantly blessed with a grandson. Could it be that one reason David was so great and “a man after God’s own heart” was because his grand- mothers were so great?
My husband’s favorite song is “Heaven Will Surely Be Worth It All.” When our plans do not materialize, when our dreams are shattered, and our bubbles burst, God is watching and He will bless us if we are faithful to Him. As grandmothers, we should tell our grandchildren over and over that God will never forget them in the good times or in the bad. Their friends might disappoint them but God will never leave them. He truly cares.
