I want the best for our grandchildren just like I do for our two daughters.  Not necessarily that they will have the finest of material things, but of greater importance, that they will have fulfilling and meaningful lives.  I want them to have good homes and healthy relationships, as well as a meaningful and productive place in society.

However, I was not prepared when our youngest granddaughter announced to me a few weeks ago that she is getting married.  That was the first I had heard of it, but by then she had all the details worked out.  Considering that she is just shy of being five years old, you can understand my being caught off guard!

That is not the only time Addyson has fabricated some rather outlandish stories.    Not so long ago she came in from school saying that she had been hit with a broom.  Again, she had all the details down and she stuck with her story just as she did when she announced her wedding plans.  I probed into it a little deeper and found out that there was a witness to the incident; she told me that Brittany had seen what happened.  That aroused my curiosity a bit, but then her mother reminded me that Brittany is her imaginary friend!  (This is the same invisible “friend” that she has to buckle in in the car seat!)  Needless to say, my level of concern about her purported incident went down considerably.

I am not alarmed by her ability to imagine those kinds of things; we expect such from children her age.  It reminds me that she is thinking and developing a sharp mind that will someday be focused on productive things that have real value.

As I observe Addyson’s journey toward maturity, I am once again reminded of the eternally important investment we make as we instruct young developing minds through our words and by our example.  We cannot afford to waste or neglect the short-lived opportunity that we have to nurture them with Godly truths.  That is a privilege and responsibility of more worth than we can imagine.

The task of raising children—whether it is as a parent, grandparent, teacher in the classroom, or in some other capacity–can be overwhelming at times.  For those who have been there, you know it can bring fear and feelings of inadequacy.  In those times of frustration when we stand in the face of circumstances that have far more questions than we have answers for, we can take strength in the truth that we can always look beyond ourselves and rely on the provisions and answers that only God can give.  Ephesians 3:20-21 gives hope and guidance that can be reassuring during those deep challenges of life:  “Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen”  (New International Version).

There is no denying that the challenges faced when dealing with children are sometimes beyond anything that we ever imagined.  But we can be encouraged, for as we lean upon God for wisdom, guidance, and strength, He is able to provide help in ways that are beyond what our limited minds can imagine.