I Found A Nugget on The Deadliest Catch

It’s surprising where God places nuggets of wisdom. I found one in a “mine” called The Deadliest Catch, a TV show I enjoy watching.

On this particular episode, the seas were extremely turbulent and the fishing perilous due to an epic Arctic storm. A rookie captain was struggling to keep the boat afloat amid the fifty foot swells when a hydraulic motor burned out. He wrestled with the decision of whether to try and fix the problem on the high seas or listen to his crew who wanted to pack up and head back to port.

A veteran captain who was serving as co-pilot gave the newbie a bit of advice. “Do not worry about what they want. Do worry about what they need.”

Sometimes, as I parent my grandchildren, I find myself in a situation much like that rookie captain. Thankfully, not everyday has an epic storm. Some have only a minor squall, and a few turn out to be gloriously sunny. However, much like the new captain, my role has changed. Although he was a veteran Arctic fisherman, he was functioning in a different capacity. Now all the decisions are on him. I am a veteran grandma and now I have to be the mom. The decisions and rule enforcement falls on me.

I struggle with this role because I want to be “fun grandma.” Not only do I want to smother them with love but I want to give them what they want-sugary cereal, extended bedtime, and less discipline-instead of what they need- healthy snacks, structure and consistent boundaries. Katrena has noticed the difference. She has shared her observation more than once. Usually it’s something like, “I remember when I came here on the weekends and you let me stay up late,” or “You used to let me have cookies and ice cream for snack.” Maybe that makes me more of a bad grandma than a fun grandma.

I thought of this fisherman’s words of wisdom when I read this verse in Philippians 4:19.  My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

It is a promise that God will meet our needs. Obviously, needs are more important than desires. If this is how God parents his children, I can trust this is the best way to raise my grandchildren. Hopefully, if I place my emphasis on meeting their needs, fulfilling their desires on special occasions will again feel like they have gone to grandma’s house.

My prayer: Father God, I am so thankful I can rely on You to meet all my needs. Help me keep focused on meeting Katrena and Isaac’s needs. Don’t allow me to be distracted by all their wants. Amen.

I’d love to hear from you: I never had the fun of staying overnight and being spoiled at either of my grandmas. Did you? If so, what favorite memories of visiting grandma do you have?