Grandpa Robbie

 I first met him 25 years ago. We began attending a new church after moving to Ohio. We wanted one with a good youth and college-age ministry. One of the first Sundays there, we were asked to turn around and introduce ourselves. He turned around and said, Hi! I’m Robbie, and this is my wife Phyllis. They were very nice, and we then found out that they were the pastor’s parents, visiting from Dayton. A few months later, Robbie’s wife passed away. Sadly, we never saw her again. 

After that, my memories of Robbie were mostly of him driving up to Cleveland in his convertible. He looked so cute. I had always hoped that Robbie would one day meet a pretty lady and remarry. He never did; he was a one-woman man, never to love another. It made me sad; however, I had to accept it. After all, he wasn’t my dad! 

Not too long after meeting Robbie and getting to know him, his only granddaughter met my oldest son. It was love at first sight for them. And just like that, Robbie became part of my family. 

We waited patiently—all of us, the other parents, my daughter-in-law’s parents —for the moment when we would become grandparents. It took a long time, right about 6 or 7 years. Geez, it felt like a long time! However, that day finally arrived, and our little granddaughter was born. I became a grandma, and Grandpa Robbie became a great-grandpa. At that point, he was just Grandpa Robbie to everyone! He also, once again, was tied to our family; he was the great-grandpa of my granddaughter.

Over the years, I watched as our family became more and more integrated, our family to his, his family to ours. Another grandchild was born, so one more tie. Our family to his, his to ours. Generation to generation. We were now bonded to Grandpa Robbie through eternity.

As I pondered this, it dawned on me that because of this one man’s love for his God, we would be entwined throughout all time. Grandpa Robbie was a Christian, as were his sons, his grandchildren, and my son. I think God had a plan. It seems that way to me, anyway. 

I wonder now if that is God’s big plan. One person serves God, and a chain reaction affects all of eternity. That’s almost too much for me to comprehend, all because of one person’s choice to follow God. That is a very heavy thought. And again, I wonder, is my choice affecting my future generations? Have I changed the course of my children’s lives? And, what about their children’s, and so on? Just by serving God, is the future changed?

It seems to me that Grandpa Robbie had a lot of responsibility. I wonder if he knew? I wonder if he ever thought about the day we would all reflect on his life and the prayer he poured into all he encountered along life’s way. I wonder if he knew? I wonder if he thought that, because of his service to God, one day he would bind our family to his? 

And now I wonder—do I have the same responsibility? Do I spend time praying for others? Do I pour into others the way he did? I sure hope so. 

Grandpa Robbie, I say goodbye to you in this life. You have challenged me. And when I see you next, we will sit and reminisce about the way our family became your family and so on. Eternity awaits the rest of us, and in the meantime, you enjoy heaven, we will see you again soon.