I want to share some things unfolding in our family over the last year. I’ve just really been moved by God’s hand in things.
Recently, Max (now 20 and 6’4” tall) moved into an apartment connected to his grandparents house because Grandpa Eddy is having health difficulty after a stroke and needs lifting etc. (When we were newly weds, we lived in the one above it.)
First we must back up 18 months from now. Max was really hoping to play football for South Kitsap High School. He had dreamed of playing football all his growing up years. We have not done much in the way of organized sports because of several reasons. One was definitely financial and another was concern about conflicting schedules with church which, as you know, we have to be totally committed to. But Max was simply a born athlete, and I mean born. He rolled over on his first hour after birth! He always managed to learn sports, play sports, love sports and after 18 years of diligently doing the other things we wanted him skilled at, and showing himself to be a committed Christian, David and I both felt the Lord lay it on our hearts to look into him playing at South. He would be able to play one season (which meant 1 year for him since he dove right in and started working out with the team etc). What good was one year going to do? He was pursuing a BA in Mathematics and not intending to play in college, though hoping to help coach in the community. But he was excited and down at the weight room whenever he could. He had a great friend there that had been in foot ball some time and, in fact, was our other pastor’s son! His family was very helpful getting Max involved and set up. Manchester had 2 pk’s (pastor’s kids) on the high school team that year. We enjoyed going to most of the games and the camaraderie of it all. And then the season was over. Max continued to work out with the guys until Covid shut everything down. If we had waited a year, he would have been too old and there was no season this year due to the lockdown.
Fast forward to the here and now. Grandpa Eddy had a stroke in August and it took a couple months before he could get back home. Once home, however, unless they hired an extra person pretty much full time, which would be very costly, Grandma couldn’t help him on her own, and while we are willingly to come whenever needed, it made sense to have Max move over there so he could help at all hours of the night etc. While it was in our thoughts only, Max offered. He has learned to use the lift which takes time and lots of scooching ( that’s the only word I can think of) so he asked if he could just carry Grandpa from point A to point B. Last week when the Physical Therapist was there, he watched Max do it and said that his lifting posture was correct and that he was certainly strong enough.
Immediately things became clear to me. We don’t always see why God is directing a certain way, but sometimes we do. All that weight lifting with coaches etc. allowed Max to be able to serve his grandparents. He is continuing online school full time and is in his senior year of his bachelors of Mathematics. (Thrilling to the other grandpa who taught high school math as a career! )
I am so thankful that God has things figured out ahead of time. We really can trust Him to lead us. He has our very best interests in mind! This year has thrown some very hard things our way, too, but He has been faithful and will be faithful. We have also had many opportunities to extend grace and receive grace from the Lord and each other (our family and church family). I hope to add several more parts to this Thanksgiving post and pray that it is a blessing to you and helps you to make connections of God working.
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