Grandma's House

My grandma’s house hasn’t changed in 50 years. Well, ok, there was the addition of vinyl siding and central heat and air, but besides that, it still looks the same. My grandfather built the house back in the 1950’s when they moved to Collegedale, TN for my dad to go to college. But ever since I was born, I’ve only known that house as “grandma’s house.” To be sure, granddaddy lived there too, and sometimes we’d say that we were headed to “grandma and granddaddy’s” house. But to keep things short and simple, it was “grandma’s house.”

I loved to go to grandma’s house. It had the best brick wall on the side of the carport that went halfway up to the roofline, and from there, two sets of fan-shaped poles bolted to the top of the wall held the roof up.

Early on, my cousins and I would have to stretch to reach the bottom of the poles on the top of the wall, and we would strain to pull ourselves up, while our bare feet wind-milled their way up the red brick. Once on top of the wall, we could go back and forth along it for what seemed to be hours without getting bored. We would swing around the poles and balance along the wall until all of a sudden, something more exciting would capture the attention of one of us on the wall, and off they would go. Once one person had jumped down to run off, the others were sure to follow if the new pursuit was indeed more exciting than the wall.

There were lots of exciting things to do at grandma’s house. The tree swing. The tree house. Running through the sprinkler on a hot day. Games of Simon Says and Mother, May I and of course, the favorite on the large front lawn was Red Light, Green Light.

We also each had to take our turn helping granddaddy plant the garden, water the garden, fertilize the garden, weed the garden, or pick the garden as well. “The Garden” was actually 2 and a half acres of plowed ground on either side of the house from which corn, popcorn, watermelons, cantaloupes, okra, squashes of all kinds, beans of more kinds, peppers, radishes, lettuce and all sorts of other great things grew. We knew it was hard work, because we all had to help and our small hands and backs would grow very tired until finally we were released from the hard labor. Then we would head back up to the house, and with our last ounce of strength, pull ourselves back up to the top of the wall, where we would sit and brag about who did the most work in the garden.

But what was, and still remains, my favorite thing of all at grandma’s house, is what happens when I first get there. As a kid, I was usually one of the first out of the car and into the house, so I could hear it. The Greeting. It usually went something like this.

“Hey kid, C’mon in. Sit down and rest your feet. Can I get you something to eat?” (I loved that last part) If grandma was busy she’d just say, “look in the refrigerator and see what you want. I’m just saving”…and she would list what we couldn’t touch in the fridge. Everything else was fair game.

I still love going to grandma’s house. It’s not because of the wall, though my kids enjoyed it growing up. It’s not the tree swing or the tree house because they are both long gone. I no longer get jazzed about running through the sprinkler on a hot summer day, though my cousin’s youngest has just discovered it. Simon Says and Red Light-Green Light are rarely played there anymore. Even the garden is gone, because a few years back, my grandfather died and my grandma can barely make it around the house.

No. I love going to grandma’s house because of grandma. And the greeting. No matter how old I get she still calls me kid. I walked in a few weeks ago and there it was. “Hey kid, C’mon in. Sit down and rest your feet. There’s some cake on the counter if you want something.”

Through the good times and the bad of my life, no matter how much life changed around me, I’ve always known that I could go back to grandma’s house and my acceptance there was always automatic and unconditional. That never changed.

Grandma is now in her 90’s, and I know that at some point in time I will get a call letting me know that grandma’s house has changed forever. I don’t look forward to that day, because there are so few things in this life that you can always count on. As a matter of fact, I’ve only discovered one.

Here's the Point: Jesus Christ is the One who never changes in a universe that always does.

The bible says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Heb. 13:8 NIV

As to His divine Holiness, He was shown with great power to be the Son of God by being raised from death. Romans 1:4 TEV

This is My Son, whom I love. Listen to Him! Mark 9:7 NIV

Wouldn’t it be nice to know that you have a place to go that never changes? A place where you know that you are safe and loved. May I suggest Jesus? He never changes. Your acceptance with Him is always automatic and unconditional. That will never change.