I Am in “The Club”

Renée and I were blessed this past weekend with being able to drive up to Maine and meet our brand new first grandson – Nova Michael Söderberg. It was so amazing to hold Nova in our arms. Kiss him on the head. Feed him. Rock him to sleep. Just watch him. I could spend hours simply looking at what a miracle God created.

Of course, I expected to be overjoyed seeing my grandson. That goes without saying. After all, Proverbs 17:6 says, “Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged.” As one of the “aged,” I could not agree more. However, something else hit me that, for one reason or another, I did not expect. I love Proverbs 23:24 in The Message version of the Bible. It reads, “Parents rejoice when their children turn out well.” As I visited my son and daughter-in-law, do you know what hit me? Not that I am a grandfather, a “Papa”, but rather, that my son is a father. I always believed he would be a good one, but I was now witnessing it firsthand. It was playing out right before my eyes, and I could not have been prouder.

I was a young dad. I was twenty years-old when my oldest son Jeremy was born, twenty-two when Justin (Nova’s father) came along, and twenty-four when my youngest, Jared, arrived. I have no idea why I was in such a hurry, but I do not regret a minute of it. I was blessed growing up too. I had great parents. Nonetheless, no one can really be fully prepared or “trained” how to be a dad or mom. Not really. It is more an “on the job training” kind of a thing. I learned on the fly. I did the best I could, and, trust me, made more than my share mistakes. However, Proverbs 22:6 says, “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” As I watched Justin with his newborn son, I began to feel a little better. You know what? Maybe I did okay. It is obvious Taylor’s parents did well, because she is a wonderful new mom. I really did not expect to be so moved watching my child as a new dad. It was truly awesome.

 

I have tons of pictures. Thank God, we no longer have to take photos with a camera, then bring the film cartridge to the drug store, and wait a few days for it to be developed before we can share them with everyone, huh? Hallelujah! No, I have a folder in my Dropbox account just slowly filling up. Nova is also now my screen saver on my cell phone. Yeah, I am enjoying doing all of the grandparent stuff now that I am in “the club.” Watch out for us. We will overwhelm you with photos, videos, and stories of how our grandchild is the best. It’s what grandparents do.

Even so, amidst all this excitement. More than anything else. I hope that as Justin gazes upon his new little guy, he might now have an idea of much I have loved him from the moment I held him in my arms back on May 15, 1986. Even more importantly, I pray that he realizes this is how much God loves us. God looks at each of us like I looked at Justin, and like Justin looks at Nova, and His heart is filled to overflowing. You do not have to be a father, mother, or grandparent to understand that God loves you, and wants to be with you – always. He does! That’s why He sent His Son into the world. He could not accept being eternally separated from us, so, God gave His one and only Son so that we would be forgiven of our sins and enjoy eternal life with Him in the kingdom of heaven. That is both true and truly awesome.                

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