A Tale of Two Angels

by Carol Kent

Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children. ~Alex Haley

The day had been exhilarating. During a break from speaking at an arena event in Denver, I called home for messages. Our son, a recent graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, was in nuclear engineering school in Orlando, Florida. His voicemail communication was short: “Mom and Dad, some things are comin’ down. We have to talk.” Click.

When we got through to Jason several hours later, he picked up where he left off: “My naval orders have changed. I have to be at Surface Warfare Officers School in Newport, Rhode Island, on September 8. April and I are in love, and we want to get married next Friday.”

My heart leaped as I realized what I had just heard. My son was asking to marry a woman I had never met next Friday! He was also telling me he planned to marry a previously married woman with two children next Friday!

I had trouble breathing, let alone talking, so my husband carried on the conversation as I dialogued with God.

Hello, God? Do you remember me? I’ve been praying for my son’s future wife since he was in my womb. Lord, did you hear those prayers? This is not what I was anticipating!

Rational thinking returned slowly. We asked Jason and his new fiancée if they would wait three weeks and be married in our hometown with the accountability of family and friends around them. They agreed.

A week and a half later, Jason and April walked through our front door with their arms encircled around each other’s waists. It didn’t take me long to love April. She had been married at the age of sixteen to a man ten years her senior, and she had gone through more of “the tough stuff of life” than anyone deserves in a lifetime.

Behind the two of them, in walked six-year-old Chelsea and three-year-old Hannah. Within a half hour, sweet little Chelsea came running up to me. She took my hand in her two hands, made serious eye contact with me, and said, “You’re my new favorite Grammy!” My heart melted.

Every morning, Hannah burst out of her bedroom with exuberance. She sat on a stool at my kitchen breakfast bar and ate her cereal, singing between every bite: “I love Jesus; he loves me! I love Jesus; he loves me!”

Within a matter of hours, these precious little girls had already won my heart. As we prepared for the wedding, I enjoyed all the fun of being an “instant Grammy.” Chelsea and Hannah had full access to my closet, and they dressed up in long skirts, stiletto heels, sparkling necklaces, and colorful scarves. My two little angels danced and sang whenever they heard music in the background. They squealed with delight, and the house was filled with their infectious laughter and delightful questions.

“Grammy, pleeeeze, can I put on some of your lipstick?”

“Oh-h-h-h-h! Look at this dress! It has a flow-ee skirt. May I wear it?”

“I found Grammy’s high heels! They are so-o-o beauti-ful. I’m going to look like a princess!"

“Oh, Grammy, can we fill your bathtub with bubbles and go swimming?”

“Do we have to go to bed? Please read us a story.”

As the wedding day approached, I saw the deep love in the eyes of my son and his bride. And I already loved my big-brown-eyed granddaughters. I wasn’t there for their births, but they were filling my heart with so much joy. Two little angels entered my life at an unexpected time and showered me with unconditional love and acceptance. I had a new name—Grammy! And I had a new passion—to be a godly influence in the lives of my granddaughters.

God did answer my prayer. But the answer came in a different package than I was expecting.

You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. Psalm 119:1 MSG