| JOY Blog |
When I volunteered to write my blog post this month, I knew I would write about my feelings regarding the impending birth of our first grandchild.
Our son and daughter-in-law had announced their pregnancy last November, around Thanksgiving. We were thrilled because, for them, getting pregnant had become elusive. Sometimes plans just don’t go the way you want. They worked through many obstacles and persevered courageously when things were certainly not easy, physically or emotionally. Now their marriage is stronger because they know how to lift each other’s spirits and be strong in the face of disappointment. We were very proud of their resolve. God blessed us all.
It’s a girl
February came and we found out that our new grandbaby was a girl! Being the mother of boys, I was pretty much overcome with delight. I love my sons, but girls are a rare jewel on our side of the family. Another blessing!
A few weeks later, our son called early one morning with the frightening news that our daughter-in-law was having an appendicitis attack. Many prayers later, God blessed our family again with the skills of the surgeon who performed a minimally invasive operation, without the appendix bursting. Mother-to-be went home the next day and the pregnancy moved into the second trimester without a hitch. We were so thankful for answered prayers!
May came and Mother’s Day with it. Flying to Boston for the first time to see our son and daughter-in-law’s apartment and spending that Saturday with our children at their baby shower was a precious time. We shared a wonderful party with their friends and our family members. Pink was all over the place, great food was enjoyed, wonderful tissue-wrapped gifts were opened, and laughter and goodwill were in abundance.
The morning of our departure, alone in my granddaughter’s room, I laid my hands on her crib and prayed that God would bring her to us healthy and that she would grow strong in her faith. I am so thankful for listening to the nudge to have that blessed time with God, in anticipation of her arrival.
Working out the details
A couple weeks ago, our son called to “help us get our technology ready” for long-distance baby chats. We tried updating software, downloading apps, etc. I was having no luck, but we KNEW how to join a Gmail chat, so that was our backup plan.
We planned the details of our next visit – when to fly out, how long to stay, which dates our son would be off, would any of our other sons be able to go, where would we stay, how much would it cost, etc. We worked through all these details for two nights and finally made our reservations and trip plans. Baby would be coming in mid-August.
An early morning surprise
Early Sunday morning in August, I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep. We had two cousins staying with us, and I needed to make some miracle dish in my crock-pot, get to 9:30 church and be at a picnic shelter by 11:30.
DING, went my text message alert on my phone at 6:14 a.m. It was our son, telling us they were headed to the hospital, as my daughter-in-law’s water had broken. 2 weeks early!
He advised us that he would keep in touch with details. We waited anxiously, with no further information, and made a hard decision to go to church but keep our phones handy.
At last, in church, at 9:45 a.m. CT, we received the text: “Baby is out; both mother and baby are doing well; introductions to follow.”
I nearly leaped up in the pew and said, “I have an announcement: we have a new granddaughter!” I restrained myself, however, as my husband can no longer gracefully slink under the pews to the floor. There were definitely tears of joy in our row as we shared the news with our two cousins and the baby’s great-grandmother.
A bundle of blessings
The newest girl in our family is healthy and every bit as beautiful as we knew she would be. God is good, and we are feeling so blessed and so thankful.
And because our new little granddaughter already has her own sense of timing, my blog about impending birth has evolved instead into one about falling in love with this new little baby girl, Harriet Frances. We are enraptured. We can’t get enough of the 10-second phone videos, pictures, and Gmail chats. Until we visit in September – which seems like forever! - these have to tide us over.
Her spiritual heritage
My desire is to share my faith with my new granddaughter. To that end, here is a bible verse that has spoken to me:
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” ( 2 Timothy 1:5)
This verse comes from the second letter Paul wrote to Timothy from Rome, when Paul was a prisoner there and in danger of his life. Paul’s relationship to Timothy is explained as a father/son, or mentor/mentee. Paul wrote this letter to express his respect and love for Timothy, his fellow evangelist and traveling companion.
Dr. Ray Pritchard (who serves as president of Keep Believing Ministries and is the author of An Anchor for the Soul: Help for the Present, Hope for the Future
"We all have a heritage, a family tree. We all have a spiritual history—whether good or bad. We are Christians because someone influenced us to come to Christ. No one comes completely on his own. We all have others who make their mark on us and help us come to the place where we put our trust in Christ alone. We will be blessed and strengthened as we remember where we came from.”
May sweet Harriet remember where she came from too.
Who in your family “made their mark” on you in your spiritual journey? Have you realized the importance of sharing your faith with your family and friends?
Royann Bold has lived in North Dakota her whole life and is a prairie girl at heart. She and her husband are empty nesters, having seen their three sons take flight to three different states. She also recently retired from the 8 to 5 grind, and is awash in pursuing her interests of writing, reading, volunteering and lifelong learning. She thoroughly is enjoying her free time to participate in Bible and book studies. Read more articles by Royann.
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