Eager anticipation…first look at grandbaby #3. I wonder what color are his eyes? What will be his hair color? Skin complexion? Will he be a snuggler? Fussy or content? So many questions left unanswered until I see him face-to-face. First time holding…will he fuss or cry? Can I calm him when he cries? And that newborn sweet smell is like no other!
Even though two grandchildren go before, #3 is special in his own right. As a parent, I wondered after #1 baby if I could ever find room in my heart to love another. There was no need to worry as the love poured out. Again, God provides precisely when the need arises and his timing is always perfect.
Mothering and sacrifice go hand in hand. Only one slice of bread or cup of cereal left? There’s no question that the remaining food will go to my child. I’d sooner go without or starve. I’d die for him or her if it meant my child could live. God did the same for us when he sent his only Son. My love is not perfect and I made plenty of mistakes as I raised my children. Yet God’s love is perfect. He dispenses just the right amount of compassion and discipline all the time. And to think, my name is engraved on the palm of God’s hands. How awesome is that!
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…” (Isaiah 49:15–16).
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