An Unhurried Time

                                                  

     When our daughter’s tennis team won its division of the USTA women’s Michigan state finals this summer, we made a quick decision to fly out to Indiana for the Regionals. Shanda is a professional musician, with tennis as her hobby. She loves competing on the USTA teams in the summer and actually participated on four of them. Only one of the four went on to Indianapolis this year, the women’s 4.0 team, ages 18 and over.

      As soon as Shanda found out that we were thinking of coming to cheer for her team, she shared a couple of options with her two little boys. Her husband had a work-related event, so either she had to line up babysitters for the long weekend or she could bring them with her. How could I pass up that chance to be with our grandsons for four days?

      We met at a very classy hotel in Indianapolis on a Thursday afternoon. My “job” began when Shanda left for a meeting after dinner. The five of us had two adjoining rooms with a door in between, which gave some extra space to romp around in.

      The next three days began with buffet breakfast downstairs early in the morning, sometimes together as a family, but occasionally on our own. After Shanda and Al left for the courts, we’d take the elevator back up to the fourth floor, which was a big deal. Elliot (31/2) learned to push the ‘up’ button on the outside of the elevator, while Nate (5) had the job of getting it to stop on the fourth floor.

      There were many sources of entertainment: books, toys, play dough and freeze-dancing to music on the computer to name a few. A fort made with bed sheets between the two beds in their room was a perfect place for them to play and read.

      Mid-mornings we would take a walk, usually going down to the adjoining mall. Nate was curious about a sign on the escalator that read, “Children are not to be unattended.”  

    “What does ‘unattended’ mean, Grandma?”

    “Well, Nate, it means that children must not go on the escalator alone,” I explained, as I tightly held onto Elliot’s hand and tried to keep Nate within reach, just in case...

      We ambled through a fabulous toy store, spent time at a large interactive computer screen that attracted the kids like a magnet and inspected a couple of fancy new cars on display. The boys were good, keeping their hands behind their backs and not touching anything. Lunch in the food court was an adventure too; thankfully no one got lost!

      One morning, a woman came up to me in the mall and said, “You look like you’re having the time of your life!” And I was!

       When the tournament was over and the time came for Shanda, Nate and Elliot to drive home, it was very hard to say “good-bye.” We had such fun! How often do we have time which is unplanned and unhurried to spend enjoying one another? Family time especially is precious. I came away from that trip wanting to make more time in my life to visit with our family and friends.

      I wonder if God feels that way about spending time with us. While we are busy planning and doing, and running here and there, He waits, longing for unhurried time together.

      Please help us, dear Lord, to make time each day to spend with you. Forgive us for making excuses and for having wrong priorities. May we treasure the moments with you as we do with family and friends. In Jesus’ name, Amen

“You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11 NIV 

(published in Porterville Recorder, Aug. 2014, photos by Al Lowery)