The Fire Cloud
The Fire Cloud
I recently was invited to a podcast regarding a series of books my grandson and I have been reading. At one point in the podcast, the author said, “One young boy changed the world.” She was referring to my grandson.
Interestingly enough, our reading journey didn’t start out planning to change the world. My grandson is an avid reader.
One day I asked what his favorite book was. He told me; The Prophet, the Shepherd, and the Star. I ordered the book and began to read it. I told his mom what I had done. She told him what I did. He said, “No, no, no, she can’t start in the middle. She has to start in the beginning.” In my search for the first book in the series, I saw an audible version. I ordered the book and thoroughly enjoyed listening to all the creatures from all around the world.
Letting my grandson know I finished the first book and that there are no other audible books for the series, I jokingly said, “Will you be my audible version for the second book?” To my surprise, he quickly said yes, he would.
Night Time Reading
Most every night at 7:30, he reads one new chapter to me. After we finished the second book, I asked if he wanted to do the third? I explained that he didn’t have to and that I was fine either way. He interrupted with an enthusiastic yes; he’d love to keep going. He looks forward to our reading times, his mom said. All truth be told, I love reading with him as well. It’s real life salt and light in each of our lives, filling a need to have quality time together and bridging a 50+ year gap in our ages.
I look for ways to reach into his life with things we can relate to with one another. I didn’t consider it to be such an impactful part of our relationship at the time, but in essence, that is what happened.
Epic Order of the Seven is my grandson’s favorite series. He and I started reading with this because he already read them and loved them.
Epic Order Of The Seven by Jenny L Cote is a great series to get to start sharing. It is well written, historical, very funny, with the first book, The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud: The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz, narrated with a variety of voices by Denny Brownlee. These books are not for the faint of heart. They have anywhere from 125,000 to 185,000 adventurous words that captivate the heart and imagination of any age. The Epic Order Of The Seven is a faith-based series from an exciting perspective.
United States history is brought to life in a series by Jenny L. Cote and narrated by Denny Brownlee as well. The newest book written is called: The Voice, the Revolution, and the Key.
The overall concept, however, can be brought to life with any book or series of books. The idea even can be turned around in a way with a grandparent reading to a grandchild but not limited to books.
Movie Night
One of my granddaughters, age 4, and I have started having movie dates during the weekend. We do this with Facetime. She picks out a movie; her mom sets it up on their tv. I then set the film up on my tv, reverse the picture so the mom can sync up the timing. I mute my TV and listen to the movie through my granddaughter’s phone. Her mom sets the phone for her to watch me, and I can watch her while we both watch a movie together. We laugh at scenes together and make comments, just as we would if we were sitting together in the same room. It’s a possible replacement for a time when it would be challenging to spend in-person time together.
With COVID, distancing, and different states, grandparents and grandkids often cannot be together. This reading can be a gamechanger for many. It says to the child, “I’m interested in you. You are valuable enough for me to set this time aside just for you. Getting to know who you are and what interests you are important.” To the grandparent, the message is, “You are important to me, and I want to spend time with you.” Both gain priceless blessings.
Lockdowns and Isolation
For the grandparent alone because of COVID lockdowns, needing physical isolation because of being immune-compromised, this can be a phenomenal way to bring hope and comfort. For the kid who needs to know he is valuable for who he is, he gains confidence and approval. There is lots of love all the way around.
Whether it is the young one or grandparent, sometimes we are uncomfortable with silence. Then there is an age gap, and we don’t know what to say. So, we have breaks in our communication with those we love but don’t know how to relate. Or it can be us wanting to strengthen even further a great relationship. Reading or movie dates can bring us closer to one another.
We can take this concept a little further and consider those in a nursing home, rehab center, or hospital. These days of COVID restrictions, no one is allowed to visit. Thousands of people could use the extra touch that reading or watching a movie together can bring comfort and hope to both participating.
It is not an enormous commitment of time. For the most part, we either read or watch the movie. There isn’t a lot of extra talking, although sometimes we do visit more. But, the time is limited. For reading, it is one chapter a day, sometimes two. The time is a one-half hour to forty-five minutes. The length of the movie itself determines the movie time.
One Young Boy Changed The World
All because one young boy shared his favorite book with his grandma and was willing to read to her, not just suggest she read it herself but take the time to read to her. He changed the world and brought hope and comfort to others, to people he will never know but altered their life for good.
Paul encourages us in his writing to the Thessalonians:
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing.”
I Thessalonians 5:11
Paul also tells us not only to hold fast but consider how-to; let’s hear what he says:
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:23-25 ESV
Solomon gives us a Proverb that brings this whole concept together:
“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”
Proverbs 11:25 ESV
Perhaps we can consider a new approach to meaningful time together even when we are so physically far apart.
You can find the books mentioned above on our website under further reading.
