Birthday Present from.....

“...the door flew open, and he was looking directly into the face of a large beaming African-American woman....she engulfed him in her arms, lifting him clear off his feet and spinning him around like a little child...But something in the way that she looked at him and yelled his name made him equally delighted to see her too, even though he didn’t have a clue who she was. Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by the scent emanating from her, and it shook him. It was the smell of flowers with overtones of gardenia and jasmine, unmistakably his mother’s perfume...Meanwhile, this woman stood there with her arms outstretched as if they were the very arms of his mother. He felt the presence of love. It was warm, inviting, melting.” (The Shack, pg 80-81)

I love the picture I get in my mind when I read the above from the book called “The Shack.” It makes me remember a person in my life that makes me feel that way when I think of him. That person is my Grandpa Pelton. He was a very friendly, warm, strong, loving, and fun man of God. He passed away March 31, 1989. I was 18.

When someone you love very much dies there is a part of you that feels abandoned.

Today is my 40th birthday. A couple of months ago my mother gave me something that she found while she was cleaning out my grandparents things. It was a necklace that my Grandpa gave to my Grandma on their 40th wedding anniversary. It has an E on the front (because my grandmother’s name was Esther) and it has an inscription on the back. I left it in a drawer until today. I pulled it out of the drawer this morning and as I put it on with tears in my eyes it was like my Grandpa was wishing me a Happy Birthday. It was a huge reminder of my Grandpa’s warmth and a huge reminder that God will never abandon me.

I know that God loves me unconditionally and I’m so thankful for his love. People come and go and I’ll go one day too. I love how God has reminded me today through the gift of my Grandfather that he will never abandon me. This gift comes from God and this gift comes from one of the men that I viewed was as close to God on heaven as there will be.

Thank you God

for creating my Grandpa

Thank you God

for creating me

Thank you God

for giving me

Forty Wonderful Years

so far!

Living Loved andFreely,

Elizabeth