“Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.  ‘Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise, that it may go well with you and that you might enjoy long life on the earth.’”  Ephesians 6:1-3

In our family, we are grieving the loss of our grandson, Taylor who went to his heavenly home on December 6.  He was just 26 years old.  Taylor came into our family when he was adopted just three days old.  He was one of the most beautiful babies I had ever seen with his blonde hair, big blue eyes and little pug nose.  He had an engaging smile and infectious laugh and could make everyone feel happy.  During his early years, Taylor spent time at our house and we would take him, his brother and cousins to northern Michigan to our cabin on the river.  They would spend hours catching fish and crawdads, and spending weeks at summer camp.

In looking over old pictures for the memorial, I noticed a change in his countenance.  The sweet young boy became a teenager and when he was about 16, his face took on a different look.  He was being bullied in his new school so to be accepted, he turned to kids who were smoking “pot,” and thus began a downward spiral. His parents found out and pleaded with him to stop, but Taylor didn’t listen.  Soon he dropped out of school, got his GED, and took a job as a cook.  “Pot” led to other addictions, soon it was alcohol, cigarettes and harder drugs.  As I sat there looking over the pictures, I thought how different his life might have been if he had heeded his parents warnings on the dangers of drugs when he was 16.  “Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right.”  He had so much promise, what went wrong?

In my lifetime, I have seen children raised in Christian homes who have all the advantages of attending Sunday school, church, and God’s Word taught from earliest childhood.  From those same families, one child will become a warrior for God, and the other will turn away.   It’s very perplexing!  In Taylor’s case, his siblings love the Lord and want to live for Him.   Taylor tried very hard.  He accepted Christ as his Savior while reading his grandpa’s Bible, and really tried to overcome his addictions.  He seemed to do well for a time, then slipped back to old habits.  He would attend church every Sunday and spend the day with his family.  He even was being discipled by a pastor in their church who loved and encouraged him.  But Taylor was having a hard time sleeping, so when a co-worker offered him “fentanyl” to help him sleep, he accepted.  He never woke up.

We weep for what “might have been.”  After 10 years of substance abuse, all he possessed was a box of clothing, a stuffed animal, his Grandpa’s Bible and an old car.  He was cremated and buried with his Grandpa whom he loved.  Oh, if only!  If only teens would heed the Word of God that says, “Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise, that it will go WELL with you and that you might enjoy LONG LIFE on the earth!”  Too often I hear of lives cut short because teens won’t listen.  If they only knew how much their parents love them, know the dangers in life and want the best for them. Oh, if only!

In the end, our love and prayers for Taylor weren’t enough to save him from the addictions that plagued his life.  God answered our prayers by taking him home instead.   Our Heavenly Father makes no mistakes.  He gave us 26 years to enjoy Taylor’s smiles, hugs, quirky jokes and the good times.  “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:16.  I’ll never forget his “Hey Grandma” and his big hugs, a precious memory for me!

Your friend, Jean