Here is a story in her words…
Once upon a time, when I was around three years old, my father left a ladder leaning on the house and walked a block away to bring our cow home. Up the ladder, I went. I’m over 91 years old now, but when I close my eyes, I can still remember the view of the neat backyards inside their fences. I can see Daddy and “Bossy” the cow coming down the alley. I gained a new perspective of my world atop that ladder.
My parents punished me for climbing the ladder, but I’ll never forget or regret that experience. It taught me that there is so much more out there for us than we can even imagine. There is always something new to see.
On another day, I saw the same yards from the second-floor porch of my neighbor’s house. The yards looked different from that opposite perspective. That new view taught me that I can always look at my life from another vantage point.
We never need to think, “Oh my, things look so dark and uncertain!” Look from another viewpoint and see what can make things better. Take it one ladder step at a time. Find another direction to see a better vision. We cannot always change our circumstances, but we can often try to view things from a different angle to gain a new vision of what is possible.
Two years after my Grandma Smith penned this story, she asked me to help her write a book summarizing her thoughts on faith. She showed me reams of pages, which I knew were just a small portion of her notes from a lifetime of teaching and studying the Bible. I was neither a biblical scholar nor a writer at that time, but I went along with it. Grandma loved to create adventures, and I was always happy to join her.
I took the pages and tried to make sense out of them. Grandma wrote to teach, so these were not neatly drafted essays. Her stacks included study notes, lists, quotes, and occasional poems written on torn spiral notebook paper, check registers, cardboard sheets, and magazine pages. I tried my best to make sense of her words and typed out my interpretations for her.
Each time I handed her a stack of newly printed pages, Grandma nodded and smiled, set the pages aside, and asked me where I wanted to go for lunch. Her response confused me, but I didn’t question her. After all, this was her adventure.
In the end, we never finished a manuscript. In fact, I’m not sure if she ever read a single page.
But guess what? Over lunch, Grandma and I talked about the faith stories in her notes. I asked her questions, and she engaged with me in deep theological conversations. Oh, and I fell in love with writing. Step by step, Grandma showed me a new perspective and a new adventure for my future.
So, now here is a story in my words…
Once upon a time, when I was around 40 years old, my grandmother left a stack of papers leaning on her recliner and walked home to be with Jesus. Into the stack, I went. I’m older now, but when I close my eyes, I can still remember our conversations about faith as we ate lunch at Applebee’s. When I look back, I appreciate the adventure Grandma started for me. I gained a new perspective on my world from her words.
Grief sometimes punishes me for investing in those pages and lunches, but I’ll never forget or regret the adventure. It teaches me—Grandma taught me—that there is so much more out there for us than we can even imagine. There is always something new to learn.
On another day, I read these words from Isaiah:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (43:18-19 NIV).
From the vantage point of this promise, I view Grandma’s stories and adventures as steps along God’s restorative path in my life. The whole world looks different from this perspective. God’s Word teaches me that I can always perceive my life from His viewpoint.
Sometimes, I’m blinded by grief and fear and think, “Oh my, things look so dark and uncertain!” But then I look again from the Lord’s viewpoint and see how He continually makes all things new. I redirect my steps and notice another direction with a better view that bolsters my faith. I cannot always change my circumstances, but I can always submit them to the One who makes all things new: one ladder, one page, one story, and one granddaughter at a time.
© 2023 Lori Myers Berry