3:31 -- A Servant's Heart

He'll stay up late finishing a project for you.
He'll change up his tight schedule to make room for you.
He'll get up early and shovel a walk-way through the snow for you.
He'll fill up the gas tank before the day begins for you.

A servant's heart...that's what he has.

These are all things I know to be true about my Dad.  He lives to serve.  Not in an obnoxious, "Look at what I'm doing for you...you'd better thank me" kind of way.  More in a, "let me make your life better, easier" kind of way.  Succinctly, "Let me show you love by quietly serving."

So, it isn't shocking that this type of rich, deep love carries over into his relationship with my elder son.  The one whose smile brightens any room when Grandpa is near. The one who can't get enough of riding on Grandpa's shoulders...or wearing one of his many baseball hats...or making s'mores at his backyard firepit. 

Grandpa stains 'big boy' furniture for him.
Grandpa models gentle, yet strong love for him.
Grandpa makes plates of buttery pancakes for him.
A servant's heart...that's what he has.

Saying their goodbyes last visit, Grandpa's prickly mustache tickled his oldest grandchild's babyish cheeks.  Reid giggled and drew near, his heart bursting with love for Grandpa.  My Dad drew near too.

"I'd swim through a lake of alligators for you," he promised as he gazed into Reid's velvety brown eyes.

Standing a few feet away, I gasped -- not out of shock -- out of love.  The recognizeable kind that fills your heart and soul with warmth because you've been its recipient on many occasions.  The unforgettable kind that pads your mind with cozy memories and aspirations for it to spill over and resonate in all your relationships.  The dangerous kind that pushes you to prioritize others before yourself -- always -- in the mundane and the exciting.

Even if it means swimming through a lake of alligators.

A servant's heart...that's what he has.

Write on,
b