It suddenly occurred to me the other day that Donn and I have been grandparents for thirty years! Our son became involved with our oldest grandson’s mother when Zack was six months old–how we loved that little guy–and he has been part of our lives ever since. This year he celebrated his 30^th birthday and got engaged to a sweet, sweet girl.

As I pondered this thirty-year journey we’ve been on, I remembered how God began to prepare me for this new season of our lives almost a year before it began. I hadn’t been involved with small children for a long time and had basically decided I was done with that age! Grandparenting was far from my mind! But God had other plans.

Our daughter, Angi, had been teaching a Sunday school class of four- and five-year olds for a number of years, but had decided she wanted to attend her own class during her last year of high school. Our Sunday School superintendent was having a hard time finding a replacement.  I have to admit my first thought was, “I hope they don’t ask me!” 

However, as time passed I began to suspect that the Lord was indeed asking me!  I wasn’t very happy about it, but I finally told Him, “If they don’t have a teacher for Angi’s class by next Sunday, I’ll know you want me to teach.” 

The next Sunday morning after church, the Sunday School superintendent (who knew nothing of my prayer) approached me with a puzzled look on his face.  “Daisy, this morning when I saw you sitting in the choir loft, I think the Lord told me to ask if you would teach Angi’s Sunday School class.”

Laughing at God’s timing, I said, with a hint of exasperation, “Yes, He did!” 

In spite of my reluctance, those little ones became my greatest delight, and I realized how much I’d missed being with little ones. What an awesome experience I’d have lost out on had I refused to obey, and I’d also have missed God’s preparation for the next season of our lives.

 Several months later, Robb asked me one day, “Mom, when Angi and I graduate, are you and Dad going to adopt?”  I was astonished.  Angi’s friend, Jennifer, now in college, had joined our family the previous summer, but adoption had never entered our minds.

My answer was prompt. “No, I don’t think so.  Why do you ask?”

 Robb’s answer, “Because there are lots of kids out there who need a good home.” 

I was dumbfounded. Robb’s behavior through the years would often have led us to believe he didn’t think ours was a good home or that we were good parents. Rebellion against our boundaries was common.

In spite of my surprise at Robb’s question, I couldn’t get our conversation out of my mind. It haunted me. My nephew and his wife in Maryland were doing foster care, and every time the family got together, he and I would end up talking for hours about foster parenting.  I’d always said I’d never do foster care because I thought it would be too difficult to give the children up.

Soon after one of these conversations with my nephew, the Holy Spirit said, “What if I want you to be a foster parent?” 

I gulped as I remembered my promise to God in 1980 that I would do anything He asked me to do.  If God wanted us to be foster parents, then saying, “I can’t” was not an option. 

In clear ways, God revealed that He was calling us to be foster parents, and the process moved swiftly from there. By March, 1991, Angi and Robb’s senior year and the same month and year our first grandson was born (although we hadn’t met him yet), our five-year-old foster son had arrived. He quickly worked his way into all of our hearts.

Little did I know when Phil* arrived that we would not only be involved in grandparenting for the next thirty years, but also in foster parenting in one form or another for many of those years. As our twins reached the age of 23, a friend told us, “For a couple who only have two biological children, you have more children than anyone I know!” Little did they know! One night recently when I couldn’t sleep, rather than counting sheep, I counted the kids who’ve been in and out of our home either in foster care, (long term or respite), boarders, or international students, long term or shorter stays. I counted at least twenty-five, plus three children in our neighborhood in whose lives we were deeply involved.

 Five years ago, after giving us five grandchildren, our children told me, “We’re all done, Mom. You’ll have to wait for the greats!” And our oldest grandson said, “Don’t look at me! I’m not even looking (for a wife).” Then along came our sixth grandchild, Sarah, who is now four years old (I tell her she’s the best surprise her grandma ever got!) and not too long ago, our oldest grandson told me maybe he and Lexi (now with a diamond on her finger) will  be the ones to give us our first great grandchild.

Needless to say, I’m so thankful I was wrong when I determined that I was done with little ones the year our children started their senior year of high school. How much our lives have been enriched by the opportunity to invest in all these young lives. And how grateful I am that there’s no end in sight.

Thank you, Father, that you know us so much better than we know ourselves. Thank you for giving me not what I wanted but what you knew I needed. It has brought us so much joy and fulfillment. Amen.

*Not his real name.

Featured Image: An early picture of our beloved grandson, Zack. End Photo: Our 2019 family picture. (L to R, front to back) Our grandchildren – Dillon, Joy, Sarah, Connor, Madison; Donn and Daisy; Lexi and Zack (grandson and his fiance), Matt and Angi (parents of Joy), Jen and Kirk (parents of Dillon and Madison), Leslie and Robb (parents of Sarah, father and step-mother of Zack and Connor).

(Parts of this blog were published in my devotional book Homespun Faith, Reflections from the Seasons of Life, copyright 2014 Daisy Beiler Townsend. Available as paperback or ebook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Xulon Press. There are Links on this website on the Where to Buy Homespun Faith and Sarah’s Legacy page.  Locally at Fresh Grounds, M & M Grocery, Penn Alps in Grantsville, Maryland, or from me 724-373-8445.)