Though it's not scripture, it is scripture…

Recently I moved in with my 92-year-old grandfather to assist with his caretaking. To be honest, I struggled at first with the thought of doing it, as would anyone would do having to move from the comforts of our own home and become the caretaker of another person. Though he is 92 and his body is deteriorating with every moment, his mind is still as sharp as it was when he was younger. Growing up I don't recall him ever him being a spiritual influence in my life; I'm sure he was but I just didn't recognize it at the time. He was always the one teaching me how to be a man, teaching me how to fix things and, most importantly, because of his life experiences he always had a better and/or easier way of doing things that he was willing to share with me. But recently I noticed something that he says to me every morning when I leave the house and though it's not scripture, it is scripture! Let me explain. He says three things: "God bless you Rod, I love you Rod, and have a good day!" Though it's not scripture, it is scripture. This has made me realize that at some point during his journey he learned Matthew 22:37-39 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Though he doesn't recite exactly what the scripture says, what's in his heart to say to me as I'm leaving for work is what the scripture is telling us to do.

Jesus commands us to love God with our heart, mind, and soul. The Message Bible says, with "all our passion and prayer and intelligence," and then He commands that we love others as our self. I believe with all my heart that this is what my grandfather is saying to me. I'm not so sure that he would be able to tell me where this verse is in the Bible, but somewhere in his journey it has been placed in his heart. And now when he says a simple goodbye in the morning it has become a part of him. This is something to think about, the very scripture that we read and learn about is becoming the life we live and the talk we talk about.