Drop-in delight
By Janice Stramel
Friday, February 15, 2008 11:46 AM PST
I drove into the driveway after work last night to find my husband’s little Geo sitting outside the garage. This puzzled me since it is usually in the garage. As I eased into my side of the garage, I discovered the ping-pong table erected and ready to go on his side. “So,” I thought, “someone is coming to play with him.”
I dragged several bags of groceries out of the trunk and headed for the house. As I reached for the doorknob, the door popped open and there stood my husband — acting like an idiot, grinning from ear to ear, stretching and twirling his right arm and jogging around the entryway. “Who’s coming?” I asked. No answer, just stretching and facial exaggerations. “What’s up?” I said. “Oh, gotta get ready.” he states. “Who’s coming?” No answer again, just silliness.
I finally threw up my hands in exasperation and announced I’d had enough and was going to get the rest of the groceries out of the car. Now he’s right behind me, still being goofy and muttering, “State champion, gotta get ready for the state champion.”
I’m still not getting it. Right on my heels he begins to demonstrate a runner in a race, panting and tromping the sidewalk.
Oh! Finally, I get it! Our trackster grandson is coming to play with him, and he is so tickled he can hardly stand himself (and neither can I). But now I am in on the joy and excitement.
The kid arrives and lights up our lives. They play ping-pong while I rustle up some after-track-practice lunch for our grandson. (It’s imperative, you know, for grandmas to feed the children.) I put it in a sack and watch the last of the big game before he leaves for the indoor track at Nampa to practice with Team Idaho. We wave as he pulls out of the driveway and then we put the ping-pong table back in place. We laugh and discuss every moment he spent with us. I can’t think of anything more pleasurable than having our kids and grandkids drop in to see us. Parents, grandparents, can you relate to what I am saying? It just warms your heart to no end.
Now stop and think for a moment. What do you suppose thrills the father almighty more than anything you can think of? We are his kids, and I know that he loves it when we drop in to see him. The reason I know this is that he told me so this morning as I was doing my devotions. Drop in on father. He loves it. He loves you. Light up his day. It will light up your day too.
For comments or questions regarding this column, contact Janice Stramel at Christian Counseling Services, 100 S. Iowa Ave., Fruitland, ID 83619, (208) 452-4378.
