Do It Anyway

The Book of Ron · 36 of 48 · 2 minute read

As the grandkids—Dawn, Daisy, and Holly—were getting older, we became more financially involved in their lives: co-signing for cars, helping them get jobs, loaning money, purchasing phones, setting up accounts, even building a house. Cheryl, still loving them and investing in them, would often have conversations with me. She would say, “The girls have got you wrapped around their finger a little. They don’t love you the way you think they do, especially Daisy.” She felt Daisy could manipulate me and bend me to her will. In hindsight, she was correct to a significant degree.

But I would tell Cheryl that it didn’t really matter. What mattered was the covenant we made with the Lord—to invest in them and do the best we could. When they were small tricycle motors, throwaway kids altogether, Cheryl would pick them up and take them home. We fixed dinners. We did everything the parents would do, and then some. Now, it was our responsibility to help turn these young teenagers into young ladies, and our obligation had not yet ended.

I would explain to her that the obligation was simple: we do our best. The outcome? That would be up to each grandchild and the Lord’s will. That was beyond our pay grade, beyond our control.

I would tell her the story of how Aunt Gladys invested in me. She didn’t just invest in me—she offered the same opportunities to my two brothers. Neither of them wanted to go to Sunday school, neither wanted the structure Aunt Gladys was teaching. They had devised ways to escape. Gene, for example, could always sabotage the truck. We’d let Dad’s dog out, and it would run away, giving us a chance to chase it and stay out of trouble for hours. There were always ways to avoid, improvise, adapt, and overcome.

The investment Aunt Gladys offered all three of us was significant and real. You can take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. Aunt Gladys offered all three of us a chance at the drinking hole. By God’s grace, I wanted to drink.

Every time I hear the song Do It Anyway by Shania Twain, I think of the grandgirls. I think of loves lost, of times my life has crashed and shattered—but still, do it anyway. The outcome is not your responsibility. What matters is the investment, the effort, and the attitude you bring. Continue to pray, hope for the best, and do it anyway. Do yourself a favor—listen to that song.