Dear Scooter,
Eight years ago today I started writing a letter to you (and later to your sister and cousins) on your birthday. In those letters I have tried to share a few of the things that have happened over the year and then a life lesson that I want you to remember. It hardly seems possible that you are eight years old!
This has been an eventful year for you – from losing teeth to finding out that you are going to have TWO MORE SISTERS and moving into a new house! When you found out about the twins, you said, “Poppo…us boys are going to have to stick together cause we are outnumbered!” Indeed we are, but I’m sure you will be a great big brother.
The BEST THING that happened this past year is that you came to my house one night and told me that you prayed with momma and daddy and asked Jesus to save you! That is an answer to a prayer that I have for every one of my grandchildren. There is no greater decision you will ever make than to surrender your life to Jesus. We are all so proud of you for that.
Your baseball season cost me a lot of money this year! At the beginning of the year, you were having a little problem hitting the ball. I made a deal with you that for every hit you got into the outfield, I’d give you money. I remember the first hit. You got to first base — pointed out to left field where I was sitting — and you screamed — “POPPO — YOU OWE ME MONEY!” I soon learned not to make deals like that anymore cause I would go broke! I was so proud of you this season. You hit well and you became quite the left fielder. By the way, Nanna played left field back in the day and she was a VERY GOOD outfielder. I think you will be the same way.
You finished second grade this year. You are very good at math! You take after your daddy in that way. You are also very popular at your school. I came to eat lunch with you several times during the year. All throughout our lunch, people would stop and talk to you and call out to you. I asked on one occasion who all these people were and you said, “Poppo, I’m just popular around here.”
You have a wonderful sense of humor. You are always making me laugh about something. You love big and we all love you. I’m enjoying watching you grow up.
The last two years have been stressful for Poppo both personally and professionally. In spite of that, you, Harper, Ellie and Benjamin have been a great big dose of sanity in an otherwise insane world. I get up every day and thank God for allowing me to be your Poppo.
I think when I look at the world we live in today, the word that seems to come to my mind is FEAR. Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. It seems that no matter where we look, bad things are happening. If we aren’t careful, the old devil will try and use fear to keep us from doing what God wants us to do. At your age, you are fearful about things most 8 year olds are fearful about. As you grow older, our fears may change, but the result of those fears is always the same. Fear diminishes our faith in God if we are not careful. When we are fearful, we start running from something that is not even there.
This past year, I’ve tried to teach you and my other grandchildren a verse that my momma (Granny) taught me as a child. It is Psalm 56:3. It says, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” I can’t tell you how many times I have quoted that verse in my head over my 59 years of life. This verse reminds me that whenever we see obstacles in life, we need to refocus so that we see GOD. God did not create you and me to be dominated by fear. We were created to live by FAITH! When fear dominates our lives, we end up with a distorted view of the situation which then causes panic.
Here’s another verse to remember. It is II Timothy 1:7. It says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” The answer to our fear is not running away but running to God. God has given to us His Spirit and His Spirit is all-powerful — so why be afraid! God is in control, He loves us and He will always take care of us. We have to trust Him.
The people who love us will always try and protect us from the things that cause us fear, but ultimately, we have to TRUST GOD! Remember, God loves you even more than I do — and that’s A LOT! Nanna and I love you and there is absolutely nothing you can do to change that. We don’t always approve of the choices you make, BUT we never stop loving you. That will be true as long as you live.
Enjoy your birthday. Have fun. And remember we all love you more than you will ever realize.
Love,
Poppo
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