Psalm 128: How joyful are those who fear the Lord, all who follow His ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be! Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table. That is the Lord’s blessing for those who fear Him. May the Lord continually bless you from Zion Jerusalem Israel
Grandchildren are a product of your child and the child of another family. I became a grandfather at 50 years of age when my youngest daughter and her husband gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. This was before my tumble to the bottom. I met my granddaughter when she was just five weeks old. I have a picture of me holding her and bending over to kiss her cheek. What joy it brings me today to look at that photograph and see that tiny, fragile life in my arms, and to know the complete unconditional love I have for that baby.
I want to stretch your imagination a bit. There’s no doubt that I love all three of my children unconditionally and wish for them every bit of God’s blessings. Their mother and I had the responsibility of bringing all three of them up in our home. My ex-wife was, and is, an incredible mother and I give her all kinds of credit for the creative ways she helped our children in their growth. But once they are adults, you have to pretty much let them spread their wings and fly. Though, you will never stop being a parent. Biologically, they will always be our kids! They will always be welcome in our lives. But at the time they venture out on their own, watching them from afar is probably the best way to go. Jesus Christ is God’s only Son, sent to earth to teach and bring others to Himself. Then He died on the cross to save us from our sins, and was resurrected so that we might spend eternity with Him. Jesus is our redeemer, our mediator to God. Here’s where I want to stretch your imagination. Try to look at God the Father as a Grandfather. And Jesus as our leader or Father figure. Today I can hold my adult children, tell them I love them and that I will always be there for them. And that’s the truth. Our
I can see the picture where I am holding my fragile, beautiful granddaughter. As I lean down to kiss her, I can see God leaning down to hold me and kiss me with all His affection, but then give me back to Jesus to be led by Him to become more like Him. In the same way, my daughter and her husband have the responsibility to take my granddaughter and lead her in life. And I pray that they will raise her to be like Christ.
So let’s re-cap this imagination stretching exercise. I’m a grandfather, and my grandkids call me Papa…God, my Heavenly Father is my Papa. I am definitely not equating myself to God, just a parallel for this exercise. Jesus is God’s only Son loved by God with all His heart. Separate for a moment that Jesus is God. My daughter is loved by me with all my heart. I am Jesus’ child to be led, taught, nurtured and loved by Him. He shows me to the Heavenly Father, or Papa, and Papa loves on me and holds me. Then He gives me back to Jesus so that Christ can continue His work in me. As I am shown my granddaughter, I get to love on her and hold her. Then I give her back to her parents so that they can continue their work in her life.
That’s the closest I can come to explaining grandparental love. So far I have two grandchildren. Both of them granddaughters from my youngest daughter and I cherish the time I get to spend with them. As the years pass by I look forward to spending more time with them and any other grandchildren I am blessed with. That’s how I can enjoy them. Love on them, give them special treatment, pray for them and let them know Papa will always be there for them. Then give them back to their parents so they can continue the work that God has called them to in the lives of their children.
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