Watching Eyes
Approaching my grandmother’s house I could see her sitting in her favorite chair. Now this was one of those overstuffed chairs that seem to swallow you up when you sit in it. She had it arranged in such a way that it enabled her to keep an eye on all the “goings on” in front of her house.
On this particular day, she was reading and did not see me coming. I quietly slipped through the front gate, up the stairs, crept through the front door and jumped into her large lap with a wonderful plop. She made the sound like the air rushing from a squeezed beach ball. She shook her head as if she were annoyed. I slipped my arms around her neck, pressed my forehead against hers and looked into her eyes. Her frown turned into a loving smile.
She put her arms around me and pulled me down to her lap. She leaned her head down and kissed me on the crown of my head. She then retrieved the book she was reading, which was dislodged by my enthusiastic and youthful entrance. She opened it back up and whispered, “Just a moment sweetheart.”
Her words told me that she still had something she needed to do before she turned herself over to me. So I snuggled closer to her and watched. I watched her read from a book with worn pages and a frayed cover. I watched as she nodded her head, as if someone was speaking to her personally. I watched as she closed her eyes, just for a moment, and then closed her book. I watched as she looked down at me, eyes sparkling and said, “Guess what is cooling on the table. Something I made just for you!”
“Oh boy,” I cried, “a cherry pie!”
Now the large overstuffed chair is gone, and there are no more cherry pies, baked especially for me from my beloved grandmother. My grandmother died several years after that day. Death and time can take many things from us, but there are some things that are ours forever. The love of a grandmother, the feeling of sitting on her lap, and the things that she told me about the book that she was reading that day- without even uttering a word.
CONSIDER that little eyes are watching us. Little arms need a neck to squeeze. Little lives need to know about the important things in life. What will they see as they watch us?
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15)
Rev. Wendell Mettey
Revised 6/11/2013
