As a young girl, I lived next door to my grandparents for several years. Every day after school, I would spend the afternoons hanging out at their house. They lived on a beautiful piece of land in North Georgia surrounded by rolling cow pastures and mountains in the distance. The beauty at their house was magnified by the peace and serenity in the atmosphere.
As I grew older, I realized the peace at their home came from Christ and His presence. My grandfather, whom I called “Poppy,” was a praying man. He was left fatherless when his daddy died on his tenth birthday. Without an earthly father, he turned to his heavenly FATHER to fill the void in his life.
Poppy’s love for Christ influenced me.
Some of my greatest memories as a child are of the times I sat in a wooden swing that was positioned in front of a big old tree. I would sit for what seemed like hours with Poppy by my side, along with one of his cats nestled in between us. As the cat purred, and the old swing screeched in the wind, I could feel the Spirit of God and the peace that came from within Poppy’s soul.
I tasted the presence of God in those sacred moments swinging by the tree. My spirit was touched and a desire was born in my heart to seek after Christ—the one and only way to find true peace.
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 (NIV)
I’m linking up for Five Minute Friday where Lisa Jo Baker and other awesome people write for five minutes flat with no self critiquing or no striving for perfection. This week’s prompt is: “Tree.” Today, it took me twenty extra minutes to write this piece. This post was written in loving memory of Alvin Harper (1916-2012).
The above photo of my grandfather’s swing was taken shortly after he passed away. I now have the swing at my house and will always be grateful for the legacy of prayer that Poppy left behind.
Thanks for linking up! It was such a beautiful piece, even if it wasn’t five minutes. 🙂 Although I didn’t have a bench swing by a tree that I shared with my Grandma, this reminded me of her. Her sweet spirit and love for God will forever influence my life and walk with God. I am so thankful for the godly grandparents I have been blessed with.
Thank you, Megan, for your sweet comment. It brings me such joy to hear that you were blessed with godly grandparents as well. It’s amazing the impact grandparents can make on our lives! I truly wouldn’t be the woman I am today without my grandparents and the legacies they left behind.