‘Gramma, have you ever felt left out?’
I was surprised by the question, and answered truthfully.
Yes. Especially when I first married Don and moved to Scotland, where he had
family and friends and I knew nobody except him.
Why? I asked. Have you?
Oh, what heartache to hear the growing pains of a beloved
5-year-old granddaughter! Playground friendships swirl one way and then the
next, but often leave some standing alone feeling left out: the world can be a
cold, lonely place.
It’s a hard lesson, but good for developing character,
right? Isn’t that what James writes? When we feel left out and alone, we can
grow in our love for and dependence on God, who never leaves us out. We can
develop kindness, having felt unkindly treated.
But for a five-year-old, so hard. I wish I could find her a
faithful friend. I wish I could tell her what to do that would make it better,
but there is no formula for relationships.
What I can do is pray that God will be glorified in this, and
she will know the comfort of his presence. I can show her how loved and special
she is.
And I can make sure I don’t leave anyone out in my own activities and
relationships.
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