Many of us are blessed to have children we nurtured, loved, mentored, and hopefully brought to faith. There are also many of us who have grandchildren we love and cherish, and spoil to the nth degree. This is part of God’s plan and we are truly blessed to have them in our lives along with the memories we’ve made. But sometimes, God may bring an unexpected child into our lives.

As I was moving toward the end of my career leading and directing 3,000 employees in six states, there was a point in time when I realized I needed a break from the daily routine. I contacted an elementary school to see if they needed mentors to help in the classrooms. I was assigned Jason, a 5th grader whom I would have lunch with every Wednesday when I was in town. Jason was a foster child, whose mother had been incarcerated six months after he was born, and whose father was not in the picture.

One weekend I arranged to take Jason and his best friend to a crater in Oregon for a hike and picnic. We had the best time hiking, skipping rocks, and enjoying homemade sandwiches. As we were walking down the hill back to the car, Jason took my hand and looked me in the eyes with his own tearing up and said, “This is the best time I have ever had in my life.” It was at that time I committed myself to becoming a surrogate grandfather.

When my wife and I retired from the Pacific Northwest and moved to Florida, I felt led to serve as a guardian ad litem—a court appointed advocate for children who have been removed from their homes by child welfare agencies. Extensive training is required as well as having to put yourself into conditions and situations with which you are not accustomed, all for the benefit of the child you are representing. Jacob was born with a serious intestinal tract condition that required him, at six months of age, to rely on a tube permanently inserted in his abdomen to be fed. His parents neglected him medically for eight years during which time he had 63 hospital stays, each exceeding 25 days. After several years of working with him, we were able to have him placed with his grandfather who has loved and helped him become assimilated in the school system.

For the last 15 years I have worked in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades at Three Oaks Elementary School in Estero mentoring, coaching, listening to, and loving the students. What a blessing it is to see these children grow during the school year and to know you have made a difference in their lives. The icing on the cake is receiving love-filled hugs at the end of the day!

Being a surrogate grandparent is such a wonderful opportunity to impact a child. As found in Proverbs 22:6, “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” Who knows… the one word you say, the smile you share, the connection you make may have a lifetime impact. We dearly love our grandson omas; however, he is in NYC and we are here. I am blessed to be able to share the pent-up love I have for him with the children I see weekly in the classroom.

by Elder Dave Nichols

“I am proud to say that a child I worked with when I was a guardian ad litem is now, along with her adopted parents, a member of First Church. What a blessing for her, her parents, and our church.” – Dave Nichols