Wonderful Wednesdays

I had a really poignant moment this afternoon, and I want to remember it forever. In order to share it, I have to back up a little...

Before we moved to Peachtree City last year, I used to work three days a week. On my Wednesdays off, I almost always took Turner over to my grandmother's house on the Isle of Palms. We would have a visit with her, pay some bills and then play on the beach or at the Island playground. It was special, sacred time to me...I somehow sensed it was precious long before God called us away to Georgia. Anyway, Turner got pretty used to it, too, and loved our trips to visit Grandy. She always anticipated what snacks would be in the pantry, and Grandy had some special toys and a child-sized rocker in the corner of the living room -- things Turner enjoyed playing with each week. To this day, she could tell you every toy that's there.

Turner -- having spent lots of quality time with Grandy, even at such a young age -- is still very sensitive to her needs, always asking if she needs her cane or "red rider," her walker.

Not long after our move to Peachtree City, Grandy moved to Sumter. All the moves have been blessings, but they have also meant some heartache and grieving for those earlier days.

Flash forward to this afternoon...

I took Turner and Parker --all decked out in their Halloween costumes -- to a local retirement/rehab center. Several children from the church met, and we did "reverse" trick-or-treating, where we gave candy to the residents. I honestly did not know how Turner would react. I told her to think about Grandy when we went and how much she would love to see us and get some special candy for Halloween.

Turner walked right in and blew me away with her complete blindness to these elderly folks and their failing bodies. She went up to everyone she could and said, "Happy Halloween! Can you eat sugar, or not?" (We had bought some sugar-free candy for the diabetic residents, and she was well-prepped!). It was really beautiful to watch her sweet Cinderella self, undeterred by wheelchairs, amputations, bandages, and all manner of infirmities. Half of the people could not even talk, but Turner would lay a little prayer sheep next to them and move on to the next.

We had given out a lot of candy and stuff, and I was ushering Turner out of the center to go to our next stop --choir --when this blind lady in a wheelchair leaned over and asked Turner if she could touch her and "see" her costume. Turner smiled and sweetly said, "Sure you can," and allowed this woman to feel her from head to toe. One life lived; another, to be lived. I could not stop my tears as I watched this. Wow! What a powerful witness of God's love in this precious moment.

Amazing Grace! Thank you, Grandy, for teaching us and showing us how much you and your peers have to offer us! We love you and treasure you!