I'm Just Whinin'

I’m Just Whinin’

The phone rang, and caller ID showed it was my sweet family in Mississippi.  Quickly, I answered, expecting my son or his wife Nicole. Instead, I could hear my three-year-old grandson Gabe sniffling on the other end.  'Hi, Grammy', he said, in between sniffs.  'Hey, Gabe', I said.  'Are you okay?'  'No', he responded, 'I’m not okay.'  'What’s wrong, baby?', I asked.  His response?  'Nothing, Grammy.  I’m just whinin’.'  I asked why he was whining.  He proceeded to explain:  'I’m whining because I want to talk to you.'  You see, we were due to meet them at Disney World the next week for an extended family vacation.  Gabe was at a point where he couldn’t wait any longer.  His anticipation to see us had overwhelmed his patience.

As I chatted with him, telling him that we would see him in just three more nights and telling him about the treats I was bringing him, he began to get more and more excited. 

Soon, all of the whining was past, and we were already together in our minds.  Secretly, I was praying that reality would live up to his anticipation and that he wouldn’t be whining, wishing vacation with Grammy and Pawpaw was over, quickly!

After we made plans for a special time together at Disney World, he told me he loved me and would see me soon, and we hung up, ready to live on loving, verbal reassurances of words until our dreams became a reality.  

Later that night, I told my husband about Gabe, just a-whinin’.  As I lay there thinking about that precious little boy and how much I love him, God brought to my mind the times that I have gone to my heavenly Father, weary in my spirit from the day to day challenges of life.  I, too, sometimes, am ready to just be on with it, ready to get to the good part, ready to see my Father.  I have gone to Him, whining, wanting to be where I was not, tired of the waiting, wondering if the next good thing would really happen.  Gabe had known about Disney World since Christmas; He must have despaired of it ever happening.  All he needed was to talk with me so I could reassure him that we were coming to meet him and how wonderful it would be.

How precious it is that God the Father left us an entire love letter, the Holy Bible, so that we could hear His reassuring promises on those days when we, too, are just a-whinin’.  God lovingly reminds me that… eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for them that love Him, 1 Corinthians 2:9.  Occasionally, God has to remind us that He knows it is tough waiting for all the joys that He has prepared for us, but, in just the blink of the eye, we are going to be with Him forever in the place of preparation, protection, provision, and peace that would make Walt Disney World see green!  There will be no lines there, no exit date, no additional cost, no aching feet, no crying children…  Wow!  That sounds just like – oh, it is – Heaven!

© 2011 Gerry Sisk

(03/30/11)