Les’ Letters to my Grandchildren 003

Letter # 3: Why I am Writing to You

From Grandpa Leslie Briggs Wilson                             December 14, 2011

Dear Grandchildren,

As you all know, Grandma and I have 25 grandchildren, one great-grandchild and another one on the way.  We will soon have over 100 great-grandchildren if you are all fruitful and multiply; unless the rapture interrupts the process.

I’m pretty sure that you are all smarter and faster than me; but, I have a head start and I’m closer to the finish line.  Smart can be good; but, wisdom is better.  If you are smart you will pray for wisdom.

My generation is leaving yours with a terrible mess and I am deeply concerned about the struggles that you are living with right now and the troubles that you will face in the future.

Grandma and I have lived through many of the same things you face today and will face in the near future.  We have experienced pain, anxiety, worry, fears, feelings of rejection, and feelings of inadequacy.  Let me say a few words about these things.

• Pain is real and unavoidable.
• Anxiety, worry, and fear have been my constant sinful companions and I confess them and repent of them and I am forgiven for them.
• Fear is the antithesis of faith and my faith in Jesus is greater than all my fears.  I never let fear make my decisions.
• I did experience feelings of rejection as a very young child; but, I got over that about 62 years ago.  I don’t much care what anyone thinks about me, except Jesus and Grandma.
• Regarding feelings of inadequacy: I’ve finally accepted the fact that I am inadequate; but, Jesus is sufficient for all my needs.

Pain is real.  Pain is unavoidable.  Jesus said that in this world we will have pain. But Jesus said, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  I can testify that this is true.  Grandma and I have experienced the greatest pain of all, the loss of a child.  Jesus brought us through that. With His abiding love, He can bring you through anything.  Trust Him. Believe Him. Love Him.  When you can’t understand your circumstances, just trust His love.

Faith is the antithesis of fear.  I am writing to you to encourage you to keep the faith through your struggles.  I am writing to you to warn you of things to come.  If the reader is not one of my grandchildren then I want to encourage you also.  Consider Evelyn & me as your foster grandparents.

I am writing to you, so that, you will understand the signs of the times in which you live and you will serve the Lord today and each day to follow.

I am writing to you to help you gain wisdom at a much younger age than I did.  Most of you already have a big head start, age wise.  It took me 35 years to just get humbled enough to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I will be writing to you about the rapture, the coming tribulation, the second coming of Jesus and His 1,000 year Kingdom of Heaven on this earth.

Some of you are scholars.  Some of you have short attention spans.  Some of you are too young to understand and will have to read these letters (if you wish) after I’ve gone to be with Jesus.

I have carefully studied the Scriptures for 38 years and I am still studying.

I have carefully considered the various opinions about the rapture, the coming wars, Armageddon, the second coming of Jesus, and His 1,000 year Kingdom of Heaven on this earth.  The classical premillennial, pre-tribulation interpretation makes the most sense to me. If this doesn’t make sense to you right now, it will when my letters are finished.  Other views of the ‘end times’ (a.k.a. eschatology) just ignore too many Scriptures.

If you scholars want to do your own research of the various views of eschatology and their weaknesses, I would recommend the writings of John F. Walvoord and the other past and present teachers at Dallas Theological Seminary.  Because some of you have short attention spans I will try to limit these letters to two pages.

Grandma and I have faced financial struggles; but let me say that we have been living on manna for 55 years and have never gone hungry during those years.  Grandma did experience hunger as a child.  She only weighed 112 pounds when we got married.  The Lord and I have been taking good care of her. She says that I am the answer to a maiden’s prayer.  Can you imagine that? I am exhilarated with her beauty and intoxicated by her love.   

I’ve often said that loving your grandma is the easiest thing I ever had to do.  I have to do it.  I can’t help it.  I just like being around her.  I always have, since the day I met her. I’ve always have liked being around her.  I always will.  Except for Jesus, I’m the richest man who ever lived.  I pray that God will bless each one of you with a spouse like your Grandma.

Love and prayers,                          Grandpa Les

P.S. If you don’t like being around someone or they don’t like being around you, then don’t marry them.