On Second Thought

One of the things I was sorry about when our son's house sold was that the nursery Jamie had painted for their first baby with beautiful murals several years ago would likely be painted over and lost, a lovely work of art.  I knew he had done a lot of repainting to facilitate the sale, so I asked him about the nursery, which both daughters had used by then. I was surprised to hear he had left it as it was.

"The realtor told us not to cover it up unless a buyer requested it," my daughter-in-law told me. I wondered how the room bordered with the hand-lettered 23rd Psalm near the ceiling and pastoral scenes of lambs and the Good Shepherd would be received by a potential buyer.  "As it turned out, a youth pastor and his wife who were expecting a baby girl bought the house," she said.  "Our agent said the nursery may have been the deciding factor in their decision."

How wonderful!  The beautiful Psalm would still be ministering, and the Bible says His word does not return void. Tonight after an evening meal enjoyed by gathered family members in their new house, we were casting around ideas about which video we might view on their wall projection screen. Suddenly Jamie pulled out a video of an Easter play he had written and directed and in which he had also acted a couple of years ago.  I had never seen it, although I remembered it was a big success at their church.

We were amazed at the message of the play, as a self-righteous, boorish man met what seemed to be an untimely end and was given a second chance to redeem his life. The realistic acting, the humor, and the scenarios carried truths that brought reflection on our own lives.  The play carrying God's message was still effective, even after the passage of time.

Our little granddaughter, Maddie,  had surprised me yesterday by performing a cute Thanksgiving action-song she had learned at Pre-K. I had been trying to get her to do it for her uncle, our son whose family had just arrived.  She had bashfully declined, and ran on to play with her visiting cousins.   I reached out to catch her and draw her onto my lap as she scurried by, but she pulled away. Then, pausing and looking back at me, her smiling face peeking through the framework of a high table, she said playfully, "I'll sing the Thanksgiving song!"  A twinge of conscience for giving her Mimi the brush-off had stopped her in her tracks!

It's never too late to reconsider.  (The Bible says to "Consider your ways!")  Jamie has said he will not put so much effort into doing a nursery again, but with a new son in the household now, maybe he will reconsider, too!