Lesson From My Grandfather and Light Peeks In

Last week, I blogged on my Great Grandfather. Today I want to blog on Lessons From My Grandfather. And Yes, Light peeks in.

Grandfather Nelson lost his mother at age 13 and then had an alcoholic father and a family that even went hungry and moved across country twice after being rich. Very tough teenage years. Hard to blame him for anything that happened.

Given his family, he had little education and big loss in his heart. Too bad his father did not do better in tragedy. Grandfather’s wife died in childbirth when my Dad was 5 and half years old. He turned to an irresponsible pleasure seeking life. My father remarked that too many strange women showed up to stay overnight in his childhood home. Some stayed for months and then disappeared. None connected with my Dad successfully.

Another Great Grandparent – Light Peeks In

Well, his Mother’s Mother came to live with them for 2 years before she died suddenly of a cerebrial hemorage. My Dad recalled those two years were the only love he knew in childhood.  She (Grandma Tilly) got him baptized in the church and taught him the song In the Garden. His eyes lit up to talk of her. My Dad only had bad feeling to talk of his father and never mentioned his mother.  So hard. But he knew what love is from his Grandmother. He did not retain an evangelical faith though.

Only Grandma Tilly gave him strength to stand above his father.  So my irresponsible Great Grandfather who gave up on God raised an irresponsible Godless Son(my Grandfather) who made a mess of my Dad’s childhood. But one on the mark Grandmother gave my Dad just enough that I made it to church and got saved there much to the sorrow of my Dad.

So what can be learned here?

Choices matter. One choice to seek comfort in alcohol instead of God led to 80 years of trouble for the Nelson’s. One two year investment by a Grandmother changed the track of my father’s and therefore my life.

Choices and investments in people make far reaching impacts on the future though we often cannot see them clearly when we make it. Choosing to love with God’s strength produces good fruit.