Preaching to Papa- and Gram-To-Be

At any moment Judy & I will become grandparents for the first time. 

I expect a euphoric rush of emotion, realizing that life as we currently know it will never be the same again---for Judy & me, and for Peter’s parents, John & Barbara---as our first grandchild enters this world.
 
Peter & Heather have picked out a name, but we don’t even know his name yet. This grandson is about to change our identities and give us new names, including some of our kids being called Uncle and Aunt for the first time---and Judy's parents adding the Great prefix.
 
So in this first week of August, before I hold him for the first time or call him by name, I will take a brief moment and preach to ourselves a message we’ve shared with others.

1. Being grandparents is an awesome privilege and responsibility, one we now accept with joyful anticipation.
2. At the core, there is an opportunity to pass on a spiritual blessing to a new generation within our families. This is flesh of our flesh---and so much more!
3. While we will no doubt become preoccupied and obsessed with this new cutest-ever grandson, we must continue to turn our hearts two ways, both inside and outside our family. Our love for our grandson will not diminish our love for others, nor will our love for others diminish our love for this grandson. Grandparenting is not the time to circle the wagons and focus only on family. Nor is it a time to forsake our calling as grandparents for the sake of reaching the world.
4. All of us as Christians, with or without children/grandchildren of our own, have the opportunity to become spiritual parents and grandparents in the lives of others. We can all be fruitful and multiply---a truth that should fill us all with joyful anticipation.

We look forward to the day when our grandson personally commits his life to Christ. And we commit him from the very start into the loving arms of Jesus, as the One who will call him to become both a disciple and disciple-maker.

Thanks for allowing us to share this part of our journey with you. We know in part what others have talked about. It’s about to become real!

Jesus, please help lead and guide us as we take on this new mantel of responsibility and bundle of joy! And may the fruit of Your Spirit continue to flourish beyond our family!

And as a postscript: our grandson finally arrived thirteen days beyond his original due date. And we know his name:

Ethan Wesley Burke

How special is that?! That's him in the top shot! And an updated shot below.

Papa Wes