eve-itis

I wrote this post a year ago in honor of my grandpa on Memorial Day. Since I didn’t have many readers then, I thought I would make a few edits and re-post it so that you could learn from him the way I did.

When my grandpa was sick last year I went home to spend some time with him. It was one of the hardest things, but the best thing I’ve ever done. I was able to sit with him, feed him, help with his blood level testings, and even help to put him to bed. It was incredibly special to be able to help make his experience better in some way.

Every day he would ask someone to sit with him and read him something from the bible. And as my niece was reading to him one day, I heard him reciting along from memory.

Every night when we put him into his bed, we all gathered around him and took turns praying, he included. He was so positive, even funny at times, and when he felt emotion he allowed the tears to fall without shame.

A week after I got home, he passed away. But that last week I spent with him changed my life. 
I was amazed that every single day he lived was for the Lord. He never missed a day of reading his Bible, even when he was days away from his last breath. 

I was inspired. And though he was dying of bone cancer, the most painful kind of all, I never heard him complain. Not once. And when the Lord finally took him home, his four daughters and his wife were surrounding his bed, listening to his favorite hymn.

The day I flew home from the funeral, I got a daily bible and I made a promise to myself and to God, that I would follow in his footsteps by reading the Bible every single day no matter what. And of course, one of the first things I read was the story of Adam and Eve.
What hit me as I was reading the story is that Eve had everything she could possibly want. She had the man, the perfect body, no worries about what to wear…no worries about anything really.
She lived in perfection. She was perfection. And on top of that, she got to hang out with God and hear His voice whenever she wanted to. And yet, there was this tree. This one and only tree that was off limits. One simple little tree in a garden of perfection. It would seem to me that if I were in her place, I could easily brush it off and obey God’s command. 
But, would I really?
The thing is, we all have this nature to not be content in our circumstances no matter what they may be. We tend to look around and find the one thing, the one thing, that we don’t have and then decide if only we had it, we could be content.
From the beginning of time, God gave free will. He gives a choice. He gave Eve everything she could want or need but without that tree, where would her free will, her choice, really be? 
Even in perfection, Eve looked around and saw what she didn’t have. She felt God was withholding something that would complete her, and so she took things into her own hands. She went to the tree, talked to the serpent, and made that fateful decision. She took a bite,then  convinced Adam to take a bite, and suddenly their eyes were opened. Contentment went out the window and sin came in to take it’s place. Of course, we all know, she didn’t know better than God. Her way did not end up being better than His.
My life is certainly far from perfect, but I have been incredibly blessed. Yet, so often, too often, I get consumed with what I’m missing out on. I become discontent and I start to complain. I develop what I’ve started to call, “Eve-itis.” I forget what I have, what I have been given, and I focus on what I think God is withholding from me. I play God in my life, and when I do, it never ends up being better than if I had just waited on Him.
It all brings me back to my grandpa. What did he have? He didn’t have his health, his freedom, his youth, and he certainly didn’t have any control over his body. Every pleasure seemed to have been taken from him. He was definitely far from living in perfection. But, you never heard him talk about that. He never vented or asked, “why me?” He sat in peaceful silence and was grateful for every moment he had with the people he loved. He held my hand and thanked me for the meal he could barely eat. He prayed to the Lord every day and told Him he loved Him. He was content. He never showed any signs or symptoms of Eve-itis.
My prayer is that I can also follow his example in this as well. To be able to climb my way out of Eve-itis when it hits. No matter what my circumstances may be.
***In honor of Harold Owen Lindley on Memorial Day****
My grandpa spent much of his life serving our country through several wars in the Navy. Though my grandpa didn’t lose his life in battle for our country, he certainly died in a battle against cancer. And yet through it all, his life changed everyone who crossed his path. Talk about a legacy.  I love you grandpa, thank you for your love and for your example.  
© 2009 “Le Musings of Moi”
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Comments

  1. What a beautiful and very touching post, Summer. I loved reading this; it brought tears to my eyes. Sounds like you had a super grandfather and his memory will stay with you forever. And you’re so right about what you said. We should be more thankful, more content, with what we do have. We are so very blessed. God bless your grandfather.

  2. What a great post….thanks for reposting, as I didn’t see it before. You’re grandpa sounds like a fabulous man.

  3. What an amazing gift God gave to you in those last moments with your grandpa. I think we all suffer from Eve-itis times. I consider them a blessing as it reminds me of all the things that God has given me.

  4. Beautiful! I definitely suffer from Eve-itis from time to time… from now on I will think of this story and hopefully snap to! Thanks, my friend 😉

  5. I love it Summer! What a great reminder and what a wonderful tribute to your Grandfather.

  6. Beautiful post and a wonderful Tribute.

  7. Thank you for sharing your post about your beloved grandpa. I wish my grandparents were alive to meet my son and see what we have accomplished as a family. I to get “Eve-itis” sometimes, and I need to check that attitude at the door more often. Take care.
    -Kiki

  8. That is a beautiful tribute to a wonderful grandfather! I loved every word of it. I might have to borrow your ‘Eve-itis’ term though, that’s very good.

    Thanks for sharing this Summer, it was lovely!

  9. What an incredible and moving post. Your grandfather was certainly and inspirational man. We could all learn much from his example.

  10. That was well-written and touching. The analogy between Eve and our own discontent was very interesting, and useful. I’m reminded that the only thing we always have complete control over is how we respond to our situation. We can choose to feel grateful and happy, or not. But people who choose to be grateful have such a profound inner peace. I’m working on it!

  11. Those are such sweet, precious pictures that you included in this story. What an amazing thing for you that you were able to be such an integral part of your grandpa’s life before he died. I really admire you for that – a lot of people couldn’t do that. It sounds like he was just incredible. This post is such a good reminder, and I can relate to it so well. Being content is no easy thing! There’s always something more that we think we need, but really, everything we have is right here. Thanks for writing this.

  12. Hi Summer, well, I totally was not expecting this post about my dad, your grandpa…again, but thank you sooo much. It will be two years since he passed away and I still miss him terribly. Thank you for sharing him with others. He was truely a man of God and I am so blessed that I have a snapshot of my Heavenly Father through the love and example of my earthly father. Love ya girl, Rochelle

  13. That was beautiful Summer!

    As I read your memories of your Grandpa, my own memories flood back to me. I, too was able to spend time with my Grandpa in his last days! For that I am so very thankful! He taught me so many lessons about life and humility!
    We are blessed to have had such wonderful men in our lives!

  14. Wow.

    How very special.