The Story of Our Wishing Well

A few weeks before Christmas, sweet Lucy asked me "Nanny, what do you want for Christmas?"

And I replied "Lots of hugs & kisses from my grandchildren."

To which she never missed a beat and informed me

"Well, you're gonna get those anyway. What's something you can ask Santa to bring for you?"

And I was stumped ...

 so many aspects of her unconditional & unselfish love for me in insisting that she wanted something tangible for her Nanny to ask for Christmas. 

She wasn't thinking of herself ... she was unselfishly thinking of me.

 

And so ... I said "I have no idea, Lucy. What do you think I should ask for?"

She replied "Hmmmmmm. I think you should ask for a wishing well. You know, like the one we had on the front porch but that got broken."

 

pure unselfishness ...

pure innocence ...

pure sensitivity ...

 

 

I pray that one day that I will allow God to mold me & shape me into the little girl that my granddaughter Lucy is right now. 

She's sensitive to other's feelings ...

she hurts when someone else hurts ...

 she is most tenderhearted...

 

And today I needed her sensitivity ... I needed her kind heart ... I needed to be most like her.


 

This wishing well is not just any ordinary wishing well that anyone can purchase at a home improvement store. 

 This wishing well is a one of a kind wishing well that came directly from a

six year old's tender heart. 

 

Lucy was surprised when she saw the wishing well that Santa's elves had left for us ...

she said it was "amazing" ...

 

I say that Lucy is amazing.

And I thank God everyday for her -- 

her tenderness ... her sensitivity ... her sweet spirit ...

 

She is definitely one of a kind.

 



40 Year Redemption

I've tried to write a new year's post for the past several days, but for some a reason I kept putting it off with some pretty good excuses
(at least to me) --- too tired, too cold, too much going on ... and then ... well -- I will get to "their story" in a little bit.  But first, I want to share the links of 2 of my posts from last March.  Dan & I were heading toward our 30th anniversary, and I shared a bit about how we got to 30.  It wasn't the fairytale that either of us had expected when we eloped on May 16, 1984 ... but it's our story ... our road to redemption: 

 

Part 1 -- our beginning fairytale

Part 2 - our marriage nearly ending

 

In these posts I quoted a song by Mark Schultz Love Walked In ... beautiful song that brings the relevance of God into our everyday lives.  There's a second verse to this very song that is being lived and breathed as I write this post -- with a couple exceptions ... his wife of nearly 40 years has never left his side and neither has his step-daughter or numerous friends --- just his only child ...

 

All alone in a cold, white room
They've only given him a week or two
And it's no surprise nobody calls
All he's got is regret and tears
He hasn't spoken to his kids in years
But he just heard his daughter in the hall

So many times tears have come to his eyes as he recalled when the rift began ...
and then the escalation ... and then finally --- no words, no calls, no visits ... nothing.
The details of this rift are of no importance now ... words were exchanged and feelings hurt ...
and the rift grew.
Leaving a hurt father with no communication with his only child ...
grandchildren who were torn between parent and grandparent ...
great-grandchildren who never knew their great-grandfather.

Until now ... some 40 years later ... at his side preparing for his last breath ...

redemption ...

redeeming the rift
   redeeming lost time
redeeming their relationship

Redemption is beautiful --

{even 40 years later}
{{ESPECIALLY 40 years later}}

And it's the greatest story ever told
That when it looked like there was no hope

Love walked in through the door
Face to face with brokenness
Said, "It's still worth dying for."
Met the world with a kiss
Walls fell down when Love walked in