Footprints: A Grandfather's Role in a Grandchild's Life

As we Christians know, the Lord's greater earthly plan for us as humans is to be bearers of His banner, to bring and shine His light wherever we find ourselves, but especially so in our inner circle, where our children's children await us with unconditional wide-eyed love, so that we can walk a path together with them in His love and grace (of course, I speak of those of us who are blessed with grandchildren). What a heavenly privilege!

My wife and I have been married for 48 years this year and are blessed with two beautiful adult children, ages 43 and 45 respectively.

Now for the truth. To be honest, I am not an official biological grandfather, but our Heavenly Father knows the desires of our hearts, and in my case, I realise that the Lord always had a plan to address that longing in me to be a grandfather, to fill that void in my heart. He is faithful!

Now, my situation is this. I am the proud 'grandfather' of 4 surrogate 'grandchildren.' All boys, ranging in age from 12 to their 30s.

My youngest beloved 'grandson' is named Daniel, and he and I, among other things, ride our mountain bikes together. And as a homeschooler, he can sometimes just head out with me on a weekday morning into the mountains (we live in the Bay and mountain biking is big in our area).

The Lord is so good in His love for me that He knew long ago that Daniel and I should come together. Daniel is such a lovely 12-year-old boy who not only is a great mountain biker (competitively so, and very well indeed) but also has healthy curiosity about himself and life as he stands on the threshold of boyhood becoming manhood. And I have the wonderful privilege (with his parents' friendship, insight and permission) to share conversations with him about his questions about life, such as when he will really be a man so he can ride even better, which can sometimes be quite humorous (he once asked me in the mountains when he would know when his testosterone would kick in, and I believe my answer was heavenly inspired).

In turn, I learn many lessons from Daniel about unconditional love, about being human and the energy within God's order of being human here and now, about joy in life. Daniel's mother sent me a photo a while back of a school assignment—an English letter that Daniel had handwritten and addressed to me, in which he tells how he appreciates me as his third grandfather, how he enjoys mountain biking with me. What a wonderful blessing that is.

What are the lessons I learn through my grandfather friendship with Daniel?

That I can participate in Daniel's life with careful gratitude and respect and thereby share in his parents' challenging experience of parenthood. That the Lord places us as grandfathers and grandmothers (biological or otherwise) in incredible positions of responsibility to carry light and shine through simply loving with His love.

Best wishes.

Pieter

https://grandparentingsa.co.za/