Photo by Melanie Lamb

Lasterday…

All of us grandmas know how endearing those words are that our grandkids have coined when they hear a word differently and, trying to make sense of it, say it their own way. Little Lilly tells me things that happened “lasterday” when we were apart and I love it. It will be sad when she just says “yesterday” like everyone else.

And there are those “rainbrellas” that you use when the skies open up and pour the rain. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Words matter and putting them together in the right way can make all the difference in how they are perceived by the reader or listener.

There are many ways to communicate with one another and today the preferred method seems to be texting. I’m not knocking it, I love it too. It’s great to be able to get a message to a person that they can answer at their own convenience, yet it can also be so misunderstood. People of my generation have had to learn so many new things and have had to adapt to so many different ways to communicate and obtain information.

Next time you see one of us with this troubled look on our faces when we are using our phones or computers, have mercy.

Sometimes I just yearn for lasterday. When we had to hear one another’s voices, in real time. When we could know if they “hesitated” when asked for help or honest answers. When we could hear fear, or lack of confidence, or just plain out annoyance or maybe real joy in just hearing from us.

But yet, we have emojis. Some of these I understand, and some I wonder about and am afraid to use. Maybe they don’t mean to someone else what they mean to me and they misunderstand and get offended? I said something over the weekend. An “uncool” word that really wasn’t intended to be such when I said it. I feel awful now because I wouldn’t want to offend anyone for the world. But now I know and will try to communicate better. So much to learn.

I guess I really don’t want to go back to lasterday in some ways. Because we are doing better, or trying to, in our current, kindness-seeking culture. And I don’t like to be melancholy about the “good old days” because they were not always good. Just suggest maybe that we take the time to put the phone down when someone comes face-to-face, because Facebook can wait. Call, when a text could be misunderstood and maybe even write a letter that someone can keep forever. Like we used to have to do, “lasterday.”

And I just can’t finish this post without mentioning the most beautiful love letter written to mankind. O how much I love the truth of God’s Word. How grateful I am that His Words have been written down and preserved for thousands of years and are still as fresh and true today as when they were penned. Some of the cultural meanings have to be studied out, but the truths are unchanged. How could a book written over a period of 1400 – 1800 years, by more than 40 different authors stay true to the theme of redemption through Christ? Only because it is the inspired, inerrant Word of God. For more facts about the origin and inspiration of the Bible see http://www.allabouttruth.org.

Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Or as Lilly would say “…the same lasterday, today and forever.”) Aren’t you thankful for this?

I know I am (smile emoji).