Grandchildren

LIFE LESSONS FROM LOLA IV

~ Dorothy Johnson ~ 4 Comments



LOLA GOES TO ARKANSAS

Welcome to the fourth installment of Life Lessons from Lola, a series about an adorable kitten who’s stolen lots of hearts in her journey home to Terry and me. Monday I told you how I happened to be in Atlanta and meet Lola.  Today I’m sharing the real reason I brought her home.



Time and miles fly by in the company of a friend. Before we knew it, Ginger and I were at Maria’s where we parted company when Jill picked her up. 

Friday

Friday morning, I baked that birthday cake, a quadruple chocolate standby we’ve loved for years. It’s amazing what pudding mix, extra eggs, a handful of chocolate chips and a fudge glaze can do for a regular Duncan Hines Devil’s Food  Cake Mix. 

Around noon, I drove from Norcross to Mid-Town Atlanta to see Brady. (Just  getting there was a blog-able experience in itself—thank God for GPS.) 

Lunch Confessions

 

Guess which one’s
 the reluctant model?

It was something Brady said over lunch that made me consider taking Lola home with me. You take notice when your grandchild confides that something makes him feel like a bad human being. Brady works from Can-to-Can’t and basically comes home to eat and sleep. He was already concerned, and when his landlord complained about hearing Lola cry when he passed in the hall, he felt terrible. 

   

 

 

 

Well Hello Lola

 

At my suggestion, we dropped by his apartment so I could meet that little showgirl. Folks, that’s what Lola is. She’s irrepressible.  

And you know what I thought:  Maybe I should find her a good home in Arkansas. He doesn’t even have time to do that.

Saturday

Ginger and I spent a delightful morning at the Church4Chicks conference. We even met a famous cow.

 Gran Phones Home

Once back at Maria’s, the conversation centered on Lola and whether I should rescue both Brady and her by taking her home. We don’t make those kinds of decisions at our house without talking about them. I needed to call Terry.


I could hear the hesitation in his voice when I called home to tell him what I was thinking. He could already read the handwriting on the wall. But he’s an amazing man.
Here’s part of our conversation.

Terry:  I thought we weren’t going to get any more cats. 

 Me:     I’ll find her a home, but I think I need to bring her.

Terry: Do what you need to do.


 Is That a Sign?

 
My favorite son-in-law
Another Good Man!

Brad Day, Emily’s dad, was all over the idea of Lola going home with Gran. On the way out to Maria’s birthday dinner, we swung by Goodwill to look for something to carry her in. 

We were looking for something we could make do with. I couldn’t believe my  eyes when I rounded a corner and spied a real CAT CARRIER. 

Brad grabbed it and I picked up a Care Bear quilt to pad it. We started toward the register. But first, I needed to text Brady to be sure he wanted to do this.

Me:     We’re at Goodwill looking for something to carry Lola in. Do you want to let her go?


Brady:  Let her go? It would probably be better for her.

Me:     Want U 2 b sure

Brady: Well, I don’t really want to, but this is borderline cruelty

Me:     Ok

We headed for the check-out where Brad insisted on paying. And I let him.

Birthday Meet Up


His eyes tell the story

After meeting Brady for a fun birthday dinner, we took him home and picked up Lola. 

It was heart-wrenching to see Brady’s expression when he looked at Lola through the car window.  As we drove away, Brad noted that he sure looked sad. 

The truth was we all felt sad about Brady returning to his empty apartment. I might have wiped away a few tears on the drive home.

Thought for the Day: Sometimes doing the right thing is painful, but living with the guilt and consequences of rocking along as usual is worse. 

Once again, I was proud of a grandchild’s mature decision.


Whoever pursues righteous and kindness will find life, righteousness and honor. 
 Proverbs 21:21

Next time: Lola: Born to Travel
 
Copyright © Reflections from Dorothy’s Ridge 2014. All rights reserved

LIFE LESSONS FROM LOLA III

~ Dorothy Johnson ~ 4 Comments


  GRAN GOES TO ATLANTA

This is the third installment of Life Lessons from Lola, a series about an adorable kitten who’s traveled lots of miles and stolen lots of hearts in her journey home to Terry and me. Thursday I told you how Emily’s cousin, Brady, came to adopt Lola. Today I’m sharing about what took me to Atlanta and my first meeting with her.

A God Thing

Have you ever had an experience that seemed to be orchestrated by an unseen hand? You know—a chance meeting or a set of circumstances that changed your life, brought resolution to a problem, gave you a new friend or opened an important door. And in looking back, you felt it was just meant to be. Some people call such an occurrence  A God Thing or A Divine Appointment. 


I’ve had them. My most recent experience began in August when I saw a Facebook announcement for a one-day women’s conference sponsored by Church4Chicks.com in Georgia. The founder of the group is my new online friend, Shelley Hendrix, and my connection to FaithHappenings.com where I contribute devotionals.


Hmmm


Maria back when

Two things caught my eye. 

It was in the Atlanta area, probably close to where my daughter lives. And it was scheduled for Saturday, November 8, which is her birthday. 

Maria and I haven’t spent her birthday together in a long time because it’s so close to Thanksgiving, when they come to Arkansas. And it’s a long way to Atlanta. 


 

Every time I saw that Church4Chicks ad, the desire to go grew stronger. I found myself thinking what if this is meant to be? So I did what lots Bible-reading folks do. I put out a fleece. You know, take one step to test the waters and see if details begin to fall into place. You know what happened next.  

I texted Maria.


Me:      Is Woodstock anywhere near U?


Maria: 45 minutes w/o traffic. Do you know someone there?


Me:      There’s a conference on your birthday. I’m just exploring possibilities. Do U have
            plans for the weekend? No pressure. It’s a long shot.


Maria:  I have curriculum training for work on Sat. 


Hmm. Maybe I could go to the conference while she in training. 


Atlanta Here I Come
 
After talking further with Maria and Terry, I called my friend Ginger, whose daughter also lives near Atlanta, and invited her to go with me. Long story short, she jumped at the chance to be with her grandchildren. And she wanted to attend the conference. 

So Ginger and I made our plans to drive to Atlanta on Thursday and come back on Sunday. 


I was thrilled because

·         I didn’t have to drive 10 hours alone.

·         Ginger and I are very compatible and we’d have lots of time to yak.

·         I wouldn’t have to go to the conference alone.

·         I’d see Maria, Brad, Caroline and Brady. (Emily is at U of Alabama)

·         I could bake Maria a birthday cake.  

·         I could take Brady to lunch.

·         And maybe I’d get to say hello to Shelley.

·         Oh, yeah. And I’d get to see little Lola.

I had no plans on getting another cat—especially a female cat. 

Was I in for a surprise.  


Thought for the Day:  When you’re attracted to a idea, take the first step. It might be the beginning of some important connection. It was for me, and I’m glad I did. 


Lesson I Was Soon to Learn:  Sometimes, we make our plans for one reason, when God has an entirely different agenda in mind. 



Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 19:21


Next time: Lola Goes to Arkansas

 Copyright © Reflections from Dorothy’s Ridge 2014. All rights reserved.