I just got home from visiting my daughter and new grandson. I sat and held the little guy as he slept all curled up on my chest. It seems like just yesterday I fell asleep with his mother curled up in the same way and about the same size. But it was not yesterday. It was 24 years ago. There is a certain poignancy with becoming a grandfather. Watching my children leave home has been my least favorite part of getting old. I don't mind getting up to go to the bathroom at night or forgetting where I left my keys or the gray hair that keeps popping up. But does age have to take away my children? And yet today I sat with my grandson and looked at my daughter sitting on the couch across from me and I felt a joy that wrapped itself around the sadness. My daughter glows with the beauty of a new mother. She has all the markings of being a great mom. She has had a great one to watch and learn from so it really should not be a surprise. I guess it still is though. I walk into her spotless apartment and think of how her room at home always looked like a clothes bomb had just gone off. I watch how she handles her baby and changes his diaper and wonder why it was so hard to get her to put away her dishes. And yet, here she is being a mom and she is already so good at it. Growing old is no picnic. I know I sound as if I am 100. I don't mean to but I do know that an empty nest puts me past the halfway point of this race. Anyway, growing old may not be a picnic but there are certain benefits. My daughter had to grow up and I had to give her away before she could give to me the joy that was mine today. I think of the sermon I gave last week. God gave His son away those many years ago. If God was to have the joy of holding you and me to his chest then there was no other way. So He gave and because He gave I get to lay my head on his chest and sleep as soundly as little Liam did today with me.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
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2 comments:
There are just no words to describe the love of the Holy Father are there. He protects us, holds us and keeps us, comforts us,strengthens us and fills us with himself and yet like any father he waits for our love to be returned to Him. He JOYS in our time spent with him and in our obedience to his will. Again, there are no words to describe His love.
Pastor your nest is no longer empty. Soon it will be filled again with little everything. Your heart will melt, you will laugh again even louder at the "out of the mouths of babes" words and phrases, a little hand will reach up again placed in yours, story time is fantastic and yes there will be noise lots of it at times and you sure do let your grandchildren get away with a lot more than your own kids. But when the grandchildren go home after a day spent at Grandma's and Grandpa's the stillness is deafening. Then for a short time the nest feels empty UNTIL the little guy comes back again or you just can't stand it and have to go visit him. :) The joy of children and grandchildren!!!!!!
The Godly wisdom and insight shared in these posts truly allows glimpses into the future for all of us at times.
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