Awhile back, a leak developed somewhere in Nate and Deb's bathroom plumbing. They first noticed something was wrong when water started coming out of the ceiling lights at the foot of the stairs. That was a pretty sure sign that something wasn't right, so last week Nate tore out the old tub and shower to get ready for the carpenter he had hired to remodel the bathroom. Their home is old school, and that's the only tub and shower in the house, so when a thorough scrubbing is in order, they've been trotting next door to the Pascoes or down the road to our house. I know it's an inconvenience for them, but it's been pretty nice for us when the girls pop in for a quick shower and a short visit. It's not that we never see them, but these short impromptu visits have been an added blessing.
Tonight while at a media team meeting, Debbra took a call. As we got ready to leave somewhat later, she said to me, "On your way home, Abi needs a ride." I picked her up and brought her to our house, where before showering, she showed us a photo of her latest art project. We talked for a couple minutes, she took her shower, and when she came out, said something about someone standing by her, whereupon I broke into a butchered rendition of "Stand By Me," complete with my signature Bailey dance moves. She and Linda of course, broke into maniacal laughter which deterred me not in the least. Abi and I sang the song all the way to her house.
Over the past several months, we have had some people close to us move from the area due to jobs or family situations. Often when that happens, they imagine that with the advent of such things as Facetime and Skype, the relationships won't change. But they do. It takes regular face-to-face time to keep relationships intimate. Last weekend as we ministered in prison, I talked with two different inmates, one of whom had almost no contact with his family since entering, and another whose wife was still waiting for him after 23 years of incarceration. The former is typical; the latter very unusual. I am thankful tonight for the impromptu occasions when we get to spend even short visits with our grandchildren. Whether it's times like tonight, or those occasions when Jess walks across town with Gemma, who always wants to come to Meema's house to see her "best friend," (which isn't me), or Friday nights when we have the entire crew overnight, hopefully we are building into their lives with dependable love. I know they are building into ours.
No comments:
Post a Comment