“It Must be Stressful to be a Grandparent”
Last week, as I pulled into a massive parking lot for an MLK service day project with my grandchildren, they were amazed at how many people wanted to volunteer on their day off. When I mentioned how early I needed to sign us up just to ensure a spot, one of my 9-year old grandsons remarked, “Wow—it must be stressful being a grandparent!” After taking a second to smile and revel in the momentary validation, I asked him more about his comment. He went on, somewhat to my surprise, to list some of the many things He’d noticed that grandparents do.
In many ways, he was right. Grandparenting can be stressful. Some grandparents are offering full-time child-care, and others wish they could be. Other grandparents have grandkids living with them, while yet others longingly look at their empty guest rooms, aching for them to be filled. Many grandparents navigate a quiver of grandkids, attempting to give attention to all, while yet others yearn for more.
Whether the source of our stress stems from doing too much or too little, from wishing we could be there more—or less, from still attempting to balance a career or to balancing a post-retirement budget, we can all look to the same source of our Hope for comfort and contentment. We can trust our God and His strength, and we can trust His purposes and places for us.
Ephesians 2:10 inspires, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (NIV). We are God’s “handiwork;” created in Christ Jesus to.do.good.works; which God prepared in advance FOR US TO DO! Grandparents, and every generation that pre-and proceeds us, we can take heart. If we’re following Christ and living in God’s will, we can be assured hat He’ll enable us to do the good works that HE planned for us.
Similarly, we can rest, knowing that He has determined our places. “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him” (Acts 17:26-27 ESV). Whether we’re living on opposite coasts, two states away, or two blocks distance from our grandchildren, God has us just where He wants us. While there are hard and beautiful things about every scenario, we can embrace our unique proximity, knowing we’re in the best spot for us and our loved ones.
It doesn’t mean that our current dwelling is our forever location, but that wherever we are now—and wherever He’s leading us to—we can know that His plans are best for us and for our grandchildren.
Yeah, it’s sometimes stressful being a grandparent. Chasing toddlers, guiding pre-teens through relational issues, or trekking across the state or the country for athletics and activities takes a toll on our older bodies. But, when we remember that our Sovereign Maker has us doing just what He has planned for us and where He wants us, we can know that He’ll supply our much-needed strength and wisdom. And, my fellow co-laboring Grandparents, that’s a much-welcomed stress relief.
Kay Fuller (a.k.a. Grammy Kay)