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Ahhhh... dear, dear Zoe... the greatest of love and peace to you, dear sister! And to your household and your dear daughter and her household. I am sorry I miss giving you a birthday greeting, luv. I am NOT good at remembering things like that (one reason the WTBTS appealed to me - birthdays/holidays did not bring much joy to our household when I was a child/young so I came to view them as just another day, mine particularly).
BUT, for YOU...
HAPPY YOUR DAY, dear, dear Zoe!!!
And glad dear John made it special for you!
Re daughter, yeah, she's probably just a little cried out, right now. It'll come and go, though, as she has bad days and not so bad days... and as her boys grow up and she has to deal with the usual (and not so usual, given the situation) things that come with that.
You can help, though, if you have the strength. Women have been stepping up and playing father almost since man began. Men are lost to families for all manner of reasons, from war to accidents to being incarcerated, sold off... or just leaving. We do NOT need men to well-raise children. Nor do men need women. In truth, a child only needs one parent (figure). Two is good but I'll take one GOOD parent (figure) over two BAD (or one good with one bad) ANY time.
Many people considered great in this world were raise by single mom's for a plethora of reasons. Bill Clinton. Baraka Obama. And in many instances the parent figure was a GRANDparent. Probably more often than we can count.
YOU can make a difference in this child's life (AND his mom's)... by adopting him. Not literally; I know your limitations. But you can adopt him SPIRITUALLY. Reach out to him, TALK to him, daily... and help HIM through this. Not coddle him but help him GROW... past this. And let him talk to YOU, share with YOU what he [feels he] can't tell/share with his mom/others. Be a "safe place" for him in this scary world and help navigate him through.
And it's not just gratuitous; there is something in it for you: brownie points with the MOST HOLY One of Israel, JAH of Armies.
You recall, I'm sure, where James wrote that "the form of worship that is ACCEPTABLE to God is to look after widows and orphans in their tribulation." James 1:27
Your grandson... grandsons... is/are now orphans in the eyes of JAH. Because they are "fatherless." And it is pleasing to HIM when those who belong to Him (especially through Christ) look after these. Because we emulate THEM:
Exodus 22:22 Deuteronomy 10:17, 18; 27:19 Job 29:12 Psalm 10:14; 68:5; 82:3; 146:9 Isaiah 1:17, 23 Jeremiah 5:28; 7:6; 49:11 Ezekiel 22:7 Hosea 14:3 Zechariah 7:10
It may seem a daunting thing to take on in your situation but I promise you... PROMISE you... you will receive MANY blessings as a result. Especially HEALING... for your spirit if not your flesh. Because in this thing, looking after your grandson(s) SPIRITUALLY, if not physically (and there is that, too, if/when you can), you WILL be "like" God... and like Christ.
There is only one Way to enter into the kingdom of the heavens, dear Zoe. Through Christ. But in addition to being chosen to rule with him there IS the doing of good to his brothers... AND looking after widows and orphans in their tribulation is certainly a fulfillment of that. And it sounds like both your daughter, now a widow for all intents and purposes,and your grandson(s)... who are definitely now fatherless... are in their own tribulation, right now.
I hope that helps, truly, and again, glad YOUR day was a memorable one for you.
As always, peace to you and to your ENTIRE household!
YSFS of Christ,
Shel, who apologizes for all the typos - using my phone and the dratted auto-correct...
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