My grandfather had a way with animals, especially birds. My grandparents lived on an island in Southern Florida and my grandfather was a great fisherman. When we would return home in the afternoon with a catch, he would clean the fish on the dock. I can still smell the saltwater in the air and the fish as we would lay them out. Obviously the birds could too. My grandfather’s favorite was a three-foot-tall blue heron he called Charlie. He had a broken leg from one of the hurricanes and he came each day to see my grandfather. Their appointment became so regular that my grandfather would leave fish ready for him in the refrigerator for the days when he didn’t go out to fish. As time went on, my grandparents moved to a different house on the island. My grandfather was sad to leave Charlie, his wild blue heron with the broken leg.
One day after a fishing trip, he was driving the boat in from the gulf and out of the corner of his eye, he saw his friend following above the boat. Charlie had found him; Charlie had come home.
There were many other fishermen on the island….likely better fisherman than my grandfather, but Charlie trusted my grandfather, and day after day my grandfather showed up for him.
It made me think of my kids. There are lots of places that they can choose for their hearts to call home…am I treating them in a way that is worthy of their trust? Am I kind to them? Am I reliable for them? Am I patient with them? Am I guiding their hearts in a way that as they scour the island looking for hope, their hearts will know where to call home?
When the circumstances change and their dreams become their own, would the sights and smells of what feeds their souls be familiar to them? Will they call them back to their God?
Would they see in their child’s eye our hearts returning to our Savior for truth? Would they smell our passion for our faith? Will they remember us looking to Jesus?
Charlie didn’t follow my grandfather because he was told to or even that he should. Charlie followed my grandfather because they had a relationship. He relied on my grandfather, and my grandfather was prepared for him, prepared with the nourishment he needed.
Our God is waiting with fresh new truths for us and for the kids we so dearly love. He can be trusted to provide those today, and when our sweet people leave to pursue life on their own, He will be the consistency for them to come back to. Asking God to create a pattern in our days of looking to Him, like the fish kept in the refrigerator, will keep our hearts fresh so that we naturally have new truth to pour in.
Teddy asked me the other day if Jesus made me sad, because often as I talk about Him to my kids, it makes me cry. Not on purpose…I just feel it so strongly that my eyes flood. So either my kids will remember me as the crazy Jesus cryer, or they will remember how my love for Him penetrated my heart in such a way that my eyes would overflow. I’ll pray it’s the last one, and leave that to God to guide their hearts.
Let’s press in and overflow with a love that is worth coming home to, showing them that our God can be found wherever they may go, and even when we are gone, they will have a place to return home.
