Grandchildren
I have been a father for over 40 years now, and I have been a Papa for ten. I love my children and I love my grandchildren, but there is difference. It is difficult to compare what you feel towards your thirty/forty something children to your three, six, or ten year old grandchild. The feeling you get When you experience the joy that a three year old has towards seeing or talking with his Papa and MorMor (the grandkids name for Penny). It is similar to when Paul or Julie were three years old, and they would be so excited to see Dad when I came home from work. They would run up and gave Dad and Mom a hug even though you had only been going for eight hours.
Now when I see Paul and Julie after a time of being apart, I don’t get down on my knees, with my arms spread wide, awaiting a bear hug. I love to give and receive hugs from them, but it just isn’t the same for me or for them. But for a few years you get to experience it all over again with your grandkids.
Our first grandchild, Theo, was born in 2012. He is now 10 years old and going into 5th grade this fall. So hard to believe.
He is involved in a lot of sports like soccer and lacrosse, loves video games, plays piano, has been in Mandarin immersion classes at school since
kindergarten, and he snow and water skis.
Our second grandchild and only granddaughter (so far), Gwen was born in 2014. Like her mother Gwen is full of energy, unrelenting, and persistent.
She loves to do arts and craft projects, to compete with her brother (another trait she shares with her mom), she is also in Mandarin immersion
like her brother, and she loves to get dressed up in colorful, shiny clothes.
Our third grandchild, and the oldest of three bothers, John was born in 2016. John has been intellectually advanced, who like is firstborn father,
is a rules follower. John has a great imagination, he is tenacious, loves to read, to swim, to play outside, has a soft heart and a strong sense of justice.
Our fourth grandchild, the middle of three brothers, is Luke who was born in 2017. Luke will start kindergarten in the fall of 2022.
Luke is adventuresome and loves to try new things. He loves gymnastics and swimming and he too loves to have books read to him. Luke
is already showing that he is the doer of the three brothers.
Our fifth grandchild, Caleb, is the youngest being born in 2019. Being the youngest of three brothers myself AND being one of the youngest of my grandparents
grandchildren, I have an affinity, some might say bias, towards Caleb. Caleb may be young, but his personality is already quite evident.
He holds his own with his two older brothers and hasn't quite figured out that there are any physical limits to being the youngest. It
will be fun to see what interests he pursues.
We pray for our kids that God will give the wisdom and that they will seek God’s leading in everything they do. We pray for our grandkids that God will bring them to the point of trusting in Jesus for their redemption and salvation. We pray for all of them out of love.
Children and Grandchildren are on temporary loan to parents from God. We get to borrow them for 18-20 years, but in the end, we have to give them back. How much better is it to give them back to God, then to give them to Satan, the world, or even to themselves. Thankfully, we never need to go it alone, we always have God to guide us and to lean on in times of challenge.
Love your kids if you have them. Love your grandkids if you have them. Love your parents. Love the Lord your God who gave them all to you.