AN OPEN LETTER TO MY GRANDCHILDREN!!!!!!

Instead of writing about my grand kids today, I've decided to write to them about a life lesson and to also make a confession to them.  First the confession:  I really wasn't a ninja warrior.  I know this will really disappoint some of you but telling the truth cleans the soul.   Now for life lesson #1.

   " Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there." You all are blessed with talents and abilities, some of which you have yet to realize  Abilities are God given talents that must be developed and nourished but they "are "God given.  Work hard to develop these.  The second part of this is character.  This is something you must build yourself but know that family is there to help you with this.  One time,  your  Grandmother and I were walking down on the old Daniell farm years ago.  At that time my Uncle Billy was the owner of this land and he, like your great grand daddy, loved this land.  Uncle Billy it seemed was always working down there, usually by himself  but it was a peaceful place for him to meditate and as I said he loved it.   We sat down on some old logs to talk with him and I was looking out over the pasture,  I noticed an old scrub of tree that had ropes wrapped around it and was tied to stakes that were driven into the ground to hold the tree up.  I mean to tell you this was a sad looking tree,  out in the middle of the pasture all by itself.  I asked Billy why he didn't just cut that tree down as it couldn't be of any use.  He went on to tell me the story of the tree.  How the winds and the rains and the storms had pushed the tree almost to the ground.  About how he had almost cut it down but for some reason hadn't.  He went on with the story, and it was about a young boy in the neighborhood that had gotten into some trouble.  Billy said he was a good kid at heart but had just made some mistakes.  The boys parents asked Billy if he would have a talk with the boy as they were at the end of their wits and didn't know what to do.  Billy told them to have the boy come down to the farm the next Saturday at around 8:00 o'clock A.M.  The next Saturday the boy was there right on time and Billy told him he needed some help with the old scrub tree.  Billy said they worked about 4 or 5 hours straightening that tree up and running the ropes around the stakes to hold it up straight.  When they were finally through,  The young boy asked the same questions I had asked earlier....Why?...What good was that tree?  It was the only tree out in the pasture.
Billy explained to the young man that the tree was like we are as young people.  Sometimes when we are growing we don't feel very pretty or handsome.  sometimes we feel useless.  Sometimes we feel like we are in the world all alone.  At those times we need help.  At those times we need someone to pull us up straight and hold us there just as the ropes were doing to the tree.  And as we grow stronger and bigger we can stand on our own more easily.  We can withstand the winds and storms better. 
I think what Billy was teaching the young man about was character.  Billy was telling the young man that as he grew older he would see how God would use him in life.  How he would bring comfort and refuge to others just as that tree would bring shade and comfort to the cows in that pasture.  He was telling the young man that he and his parents were there to help make him strong.  I hope you all know your Granny and I,  your aunts,  uncles and cousins.  and most importantly, your parents are there to help you whenever and with whatever you need.
I pray as you grow,  good character through God's grace will grow with you.

I love you all.

PaPa