Let me tell you about my grandchildren…
August 15, 2008. The date my life changed. Sometimes change is a bad thing, but this change was a very good thing. You see, this was the day that my first grandson was born. I became a grandfather that day. Since then I have become “Pop”. It has happened again since then and probably will happen more in the future. But for now, Luke and Sam are my little boys. There is nothing like having them run toward me after church service with outstretched arms.
GOD blessed me with two sons and now I have the privilege of watching two more little boys grow up. It’s funny how GOD just keeps increasing one’s capacity to love. I remember being concerned that I wouldn’t be able to love another child the way I did my first son many years ago. But the moment I laid eyes on number two, GOD just opened a new section of my heart, and I can absolutely say there is no difference. Well, I am happy to report the same is true with the grandchildren. OK, so I won’t get carried away talking about them, but I saw a bumper sticker once that read, “Let me tell you about my grandchildren”. Now I can identify with that…
I remember the Sunday after Luke was born, I proclaimed to my Sunday school class that I had a new favorite verse in the bible. Proverbs 17: 6 reads, “Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father.”
There are many verses in the Bible that speak of grandchildren and perhaps, one day, we will look at others but, for now, consider this passage from two perspectives.
The first perspective: the grandchildren are the crown of old men. What makes those little ones so special later in life? I enjoyed my sons as they grew up, but I think with age comes the realization of how fast time passed. How quickly each stage gave way to the next. How very soon the toddlers were in school and then leaving home as adults. As young parents, sometimes, we get caught up in the urgent things of day to day life and the times just get away from us. With age should come wisdom and the ability to realize how precious those times are. Indeed, my little boys are my crown and I treasure every opportunity I now have to spend time with them and impress on them the important things in life.
But to the fathers of today, don’t miss the rest of the story: while the grandchildren are the crown of old men, the scripture doesn’t say that the reverse is true. The glory of the children is their grandfathers? No. All those little boys (and girls) are looking up to the fathers. The children’s glory is their father. I know of no role with more responsibility than that of fatherhood.
Dads, please realize the enormous impact that you have on the little ones. You have only a short window of time to teach the important lessons of life. And then you too will be where I am.
My grandsons are my crown. But I am happy that their glory is found in their father. That is GOD’S plan.
Well said.