Just a Simple Thing

We have been a camping family since our firstborn daughter, Shawna, was two years old.  Now our two daughters, our son, and their families carry on this tradition each year.

Our whole family looks forward to our camping vacations.  Besides swimming and multi-colored campfires, we enjoy crafts, play games, rent a pontoon raft, tell funny stories, see the local sights, and EAT!  It is a highlight event of the summer for all of us and the extended time together gives us extra opportunities to have a Godly influence on our grandchildren’s lives.

On one of these camping experiences, our ten-year-old granddaughter, Thia, was assisting her younger cousin, Tatum, getting her settled in at bedtime. I gave Tatum a hug, said goodnight, and went for an evening walk.  As I was approaching our campsite upon my return, I heard a beautiful melody and a smile crossed my face. Thia was in her tent singing one of her favorite songs to Tatum.  

I was reminded of the many times I had sung to Thia to calm her when she was little. Because sleep was difficult for her from birth due to colic, I would often sing to her for 45 minutes or more before she would fall asleep. This was our routine for many years, throughout her toddler stage and beyond. My repertoire included nursery lullabies like “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “You Are My Sunshine” as well as many worship songs we sang at our Christian prayer meetings.  

So, what were the words that I heard Thia singing to her little cousin?  

“Lord you are more precious than silver, Lord you are more costly than gold, Lord you are more beautiful than diamonds, and nothing I desire compares with you.”  (Song: “More precious than silver” by Lynn DeSahzo)

What a blessing it was to know that just a simple thing like singing to my granddaughter had made an impact on her life. Of the songs I had sung to her years ago, she had chosen this one with its soothing melody, praise-filled words, and reverent chorus to calm her cousin. While it wasn’t always easy or convenient to spend so much time singing to her, it bore fruit – proof that even the smallest things we do can have a powerful influence on our grandchildren!

Cyndy Watson and her husband, Stephen, live in Jackson, Michigan, and have four granddaughters.

Copyright © 2021 Grandly: The Strategic Grandparents Club


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