God Provides Good Gifts…Good Summertime Gift #2
In my last post, I told you about a good gift I received this past summer while on a shopping trip to Costco. Today, I want to relay another good summertime gift, this one involving our granddaughter during a visit to New York City.
One legacy Ron and I want to leave for each of our grandchildren is a special trip, which we call our G’Pa and G’Ma Adventure. I start saving monthly beginning the month of their births for an excursion intended to be educational as well as fun. Travel, I believe, is an aspect of education that cannot be taken away from an individual.
In August this past summer, we took our 10-year-old granddaughter, Emalynn, to New York City and Washington, D.C., spending three nights in each city.
Traveling in the shadow of a pandemic created some inconvenience, but we decided the trouble was worth it since Emmi will be studying American History in her upcoming fifth grade school year. We wanted her to have some personal points of reference.
On Emmi’s “must-see” list was Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, a large complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City’s Manhattan Borough. Our granddaughter, who enjoys dance, watches a television show that features The School of the American Ballet, one of the buildings at Lincoln Center. Emmi seemed especially intrigued by the Lincoln Center fountain. Explaining the site to us beforehand, her eyes brightened as she told us how the fountain turned “golden” after dark.
So, of course, that became a destination point. The taxi dropped us off across the street. We located the fountain, but no water was coming out of the many spouts. Ron asked a security employee when they would come on, and he told us they were down for maintenance
Emmi sat on the ledge of the dry fountain. The disappointment in our precious granddaughter’s face was heartbreaking, but we knew there was not a thing we could do about this unfortunate circumstance. Instead of hailing a taxi back to our hotel, we decided to hang out at the park, resting on the surprisingly comfortable astroturf chairs.
Ron and I had prayed often about our trip with Emmi. We asked for protection, good humor during the pesky processes which often accompany traveling, and for special, lasting memories. I wish I could tell you I asked God to fix the fountain dilemma, but that wouldn’t be true. Rather, I found myself thinking more pragmatically about the reality our granddaughter would face many more disappointments throughout her lifetime.
Suddenly, though, the fountain came on, its upside-down waterfalls gushing forth!
Emmi’s dejected countenance turned to delight. Her grandma whispered a breath prayer, Thank you SO much, God! Emmi smiled as Grandpa shot photos of her doing the splits even though the granite ledge was still mighty warm since temperatures that day hovered around the mid-90’s.
We remained at Lincoln Center until the sun was down so we could see the “golden” waters. Emmi stayed close to the fountain. Grandpa ran around taking photos. I rested my tourist-weary bones in a comfy astroturf chair and enjoyed rich conversation with locals. One man and his visiting lifelong friend asked lots of questions about Idaho. I was especially intrigued by my visit with a retired woman, who taught voice at Julliard many years before her retirement.
While we enjoyed the pleasures of Lincoln Center in the cooling evening, fires raged in the drought-stricken western United States leaving citizens homeless and traumatized. Within days, we’d be watching the evening news, dismayed about the plight of people in Afghanistan and earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
With such horrific devastation going on in the world, does God really care about something so trivial as a little girl’s wish to see the “golden” waters of a fountain? This is a valid question. I believe the answer is “yes” because of a Jesus conversation recorded in Luke 7. Jesus spoke of earthly parents’ desire to give good gifts to their children, concluding, “How much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts…” (Luke 7:11)
During our G’Pa/G’Ma Adventure, we never feared for our safety; we managed to stay cheerful—at least most of the time—when conditions weren’t comfortable; and I believe we made memories each of us will not forget.
My prayer in retrospect is that one of the memories will be the good gift of the fountain at Lincoln Plaza for the Performing Arts in New York City, which came on at just the right time so a 10-year-old girl might enjoy “golden” waters.
May you be blessed by one of God’s good gifts today…
