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Tractors, print shops and porch swings

By DANIEL OVERDORF
Contributing Writer

Since 1973 we have celebrated Grandparents Day on the Sunday after Labor Day. I thought I'd take the opportunity today to remember my grandparents, and to consider the legacy grandparents leave for later generations.

I'll never forget riding on the tractor with my Grandpa Overdorf. He farmed in central Indiana. I lived in West Virginia with my parents and wasn't able to visit very often, but I vividly remember one occasion when he let me climb on his lap while he plowed a field on a rusty old Allis Chalmers tractor. I felt like a king.

When the job was complete we went inside where Grandma had dinner waiting. My chest was so swelled I could hardly digest the mashed potatoes. “We did a good job, didn't we Grandpa?”

From Grandpa Overdorf I learned to find fulfillment in a job well done.

My Grandma Overdorf died of cancer when I was seven years old. Though I regret not having the opportunity to know her better, I'll always have one memory. We visited her in the hospital on a particularly pretty day. We took her outside in her wheelchair and wheeled her around the hospital grounds. She wore a hospital gown. Most of her hair had fallen out as a result of cancer treatments. She was weak and pale. But at the sight of sunshine and green grass she smiled as big as life.

From Grandma Overdorf I learned to face adversity with the hope and joy of Jesus Christ in my heart.

My mother's father, Grandpa Price, was a printer. As a young man he'd worked on massive printing machines with no ear protection, so by the time I came along his hearing was, for all practical purposes, gone. So we never talked much. But I watched.

He spent hours working away in a little print shop he'd built off the back porch. The smell of ink filled the entire house. His fingernails were stained blue. He was at home in that print shop. Happy. Content.

They lived in a little town tucked into the mountains of east Tennessee. In Rogersville it was understood that if you wanted a superior print job for a fair price, call my Grandpa.

From Grandpa Price I learned to be diligent in getting the job done right.

While Grandpa was working in his print shop, the rest of us would gather with Grannaw Price on the porch swing. Their house was built atop a hill that overlooked Rogersville. We'd sit, swing, and catch up on all the family news.

Frequently while we talked we'd also break beans, or perhaps shuck corn. Grannaw loved to visit a local farmer and bring home a bushel or two for us to work on. When we returned home, Grannaw always sent an armload of frozen or canned vegetables.

From Grannaw Price I learned to enjoy sitting on the porch swing on summer afternoons, and the joy of giving to those you love.

Oh, and one more thing. All four of my grandparents were faithful to God. My Grandpa Overdorf, the farmer, was a leader in his church. My Grandpa Price, the printer, also preached at a little church on the weekends. Both of my grandmothers constantly helped and served others in their churches. Biblical principles were the foundation of their homes.

My grandparents have all passed away, but what they taught lives on.

As time has passed, the generations have shifted. My parents are now the grandparents. I am the parent.

A few hours after my oldest son was born our family and a few friends had gathered in the hospital room to celebrate with us. Peyton, my son, was in a clear-plastic crib on wheels. We all just stood around in awe of this new little creature.

When I'm looking at something I have a habit of standing in a certain posture: my arms are crossed and I have one finger on my cheek. I stood in this position in the hospital room. My dad was standing next to me in the exact same position. Someone pointed out that I'd inherited the mannerisms of my father.

Immediately we all looked into the crib. Peyton had a finger on his cheek!

Obviously a mannerism is trivial. But it illustrates a much larger truth. Grandparents, what you pass down will be passed down, and passed down further. Your words. Your passions. Your perspectives. Your priorities. Your faith.

What legacy will you leave?

(Daniel Overdorf is the senior minister of Fayetteville Christian Church, located at New Hope and Hickory Roads in Fayetteville. He may be heard each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. as a part of the church's weekly worship. Daniel may be contacted at the church office at 770-461-8763, or at daniel@fayettevillechristian.org.)