Sunny Side Up Dec. 21, 2005 �2005, Kathleen Gibson Grandma got run over by a baby Scene 1.OutsideWal-Mart, a few days ago. A loaded buggy rolls down a slight incline. Collides with me. "Whoa!" I grab its side to stay upright. A cherubic face peers from among piles of bags and boxes. Eyes wide, meeting mine. An infant; four or five months. "I just got run over by a baby!" I say in surprise, to no one in particular. The man pushing the buggy laughs and talks very fast. "So sorry! His name is Ashton and he apologizes, and I apologize too. We all apologize." His wife nods. Energetically. Scene 2. My living room, later the same day. Our Christmas tree lights the corner by the piano. The clock that ticked us through our children's blooming years and beyond strikes eight. Charlotte Church warbles Silent Night on the stereo. A hand-carved nativity set decorates the mantle. Beneath it, the fireplace glows. All is calm, all is bright. I'm ensconced in the Preacher's butter-colored recliner. In my arms, wrapped like a flannel fajita, rests my eight-and-a-half month old grandson. Grinning and fidgeting with his favorite nose - mine. I'm grandbaby-sitting. Sleep, Benjamin Bean. Sleep, in heavenly peace. The doorbell chimes. The Preacher enters from another room to answer it. It's a co-worker, dropping something off. They chat in the doorway. Benjamin raises his head, curious at the unfamiliar voice, then lowers it again. The man greets me. Glances around. Seems puzzled. Then blurts, "What happened to your house? It looks like a �" He fumbles for words. Then I see what he sees. Stacking cups, baby toys, board books and stuffed animals litter the living room floor. So does a car seat, several blankets, a diaper bag, and in the dining room a large, brightly colored kiddy-car. "Like a baby palace?" I say. "Yeah." He's right. Since the Bean bounced over our horizon, our house has taken on a slightly juvenile edge. Grandma got run over by a baby. Babies do that. They run over you willy nilly. Pell mell. Helter skelter. They rearrange your life. They rearrange you. Our nativity scenes have it all wrong, I think. Precisely placed livestock, wise men, shepherds in a row. Mary - lovely, unruffled. Joseph, quietly awestruck. Not a straw of hay out of place. No siree, like every baby before or since, God in the stable turned things upside down; before and after his birth. His mother could have been stoned for adultery. His father endured societal ridicule. A king murdered countless babies because of him. He forced his parents to become refugees. And that was just the beginning. Nevertheless, those of us who follow his teachings persist in maintaining that a relationship with Jesus Christ brings peace. Life. Light. Joy to the world. That's all true, but so is this: He turns things upside down, and sometimes it's not comfortable. Attitudes, relationships, lifestyles. Others will notice. Some may mock. But when you're holding tight to Jesus, his strength becomes yours. Get run over by The Baby this Christmas. Home Home |
 |