Had a pleasant drive up to Peachtree City this morning. The sky was glorious in its bounty of vanilla and gray clouds covering the sun’s smile, so beautiful over the wooded tree tops as the day stretched out and awakened. I had plenty of sunshine happiness with me as I drove down the rural roads of Alabama and into Georgia. Always feel Chief is still riding with me and when I lay my hand on the compartment between the seats I felt the warmth of his hand that always rested there on our travels.

My grandchildren were full of themselves today, each one sun kissed and tanned, happily recounting their summer adventures. The boys and their daddy spent a week on a sail boat in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida Keys with the Boy Scouts’ Sea Base program. The boys told me about their days on the sail boat, sleeping on top of the boat under millions of stars, snorkeling on the colorful reefs and encountering sharks, barracudas, sea turtles, and huge groupers. Their daddy had marked all the species of fish they encountered in a Florida fish identification guide and the fish colors were as beautiful as the rainbows in the sky. Can’t decide who enjoyed the trip more, Thomas or the boys.

Handley spent her tenth birthday in Disney World on a trip with her friend from Augusta. The girls, being surprised with the trip by their mothers, ran into each other in the Atlanta airport and were so excited to be traveling together. The girls and their mothers enjoyed much roller coaster riding and meeting all the princesses. Handley got a birthday hug from Minnie Mouse. She happily told me all about her birthday trip and showed me her souvenirs. I loved the stuffed pig from Disney’s Moana.

In my growing up years, life seemed so simple, children enjoyed being children. No one was in a rush to grow up. We learned how to entertain ourselves. We understood we didn’t always win and every one didn’t deserve to receive a trophy. We learned how to play and to solve our squabbles by ourselves. We didn’t have to do drills for intruders with guns because violence was not part of our world. We had the occasional bomb threat but we all knew we were safe and weren’t afraid in a crowd gathered safely away from the school. We had respect for ourselves and respect for others.

My grandchildren are so precious and I cherish the time I spend with them. They are growing up so quickly in a world that sometimes frightens me. The world is no longer an innocent place to grow up. I pray for the children of the world every night and pray that America can find her way back to God. We are all part of God’s family. Ephesians 2:19 says, “You and I have been adopted into God’s family and have become God’s children.” Regardless of our circumstances in life, we are all members of God’s household.

My grandchildren have grown up with Covid taking their grandfather and their great-grandfather from their lives. They’ve been home schooled when Covid locked the doors to their schools. They know about stranger danger and how to protect themselves from an intruder in their school. They know the rules of gun safety.

Children are beautiful blessings from God. We care for our children physically and emotionally. We need to also care for our children’s spiritual life, teaching them go to God in prayer and thanksgiving. Teach them to have a generous heart, to be compassionate and kind. Teach them to see the glory of the sunset and the beauty in a rainy day.

Childhood shapes our lives and makes us who we are. We never forget our childhood. My grandchildren say their prayers, say the blessing at meal times, and take turns reading a prayer in the car on the way to school each morning. I pray for their health and happiness. Join me every night in praying for the children in the world to learn of God’s love and blessings and pray as they travel though their season of childhood, they will be healthy, happy and safe.

“Childhood is the most beautiful of all life’s seasons.” — Jerry Smith