It was 11 years ago tomorrow, on December 12, 2001, that our first grandchild entered the world. Kristin, our oldest child, named him Connor and he was born at 4:04 pm in Women’s Hospital on the northwest side of Indianapolis. I remember that at the time, it was something of a surreal experience.
First of all, it seemed like only a few years before that I drove Janet to Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Hospital in downtown Chicago for Kristin’s arrival. It was an unbelievable experience and I was in the delivery room when Kristin was born. But now, our own daughter was bringing another generation into the world and it was certainly a life changing moment. I guess that during my childhood, I had always thought of grandparents being “old”, yet at 48, I was about to become a grandfather. What’s more, I couldn’t believe that I was actually married to a “grandmother.” š
I remember when Kristin went to the hospital and the final watch started. Late in the afternoon, Connor arrived. After mother and baby were back in the room, we were allowed to welcome Connor into the world. It was something to behold our first grandson. I remember praying for him the first time we met him – a tradition I have continued with each of the grandchildren. And of course, we have had the same sense of awe each time another of our grandchildren entered the world.
So now, we are old hands at the grandparents’ role. We’ve been through the early years and, at least with Connor, we are about to have a family member in junior high for the first time in a generation.
The point of all this is that I have gone from baby to adult; and now grandparent. In the meantime, I have seen the generations ahead of me grow older, and in most cases, pass away. Thankfully, we are fortunate to have both Janet’s folks still alive and well. And they have been an unbelievable blessing to all the generations that have come to know them.
But there are constants in the world. God, for one; and the earth, for another. It’s good to know that some things never change, in spite of the march of time. So on the eve of Connor’s birthday, I am sure that Wednesday will be a day of gratefulness to God for the blessing that Connor has been in our lives.
The verse for this evening is a reminder of the constancy of God. After all, He has been here from the beginning and will be among us for all time. The prophet Isaiah tells us that God is powerful and has done things unimaginable and majestic in the lives of men. We are told in Is. 41:4, “Who has done this and carried it through,Ā calling forth the generations from the beginning?Ā I, the LORDāwith the first of themĀ and with the lastāI am he.ā
With this verse, we are assured of God’s presence with our ancestors and those generations to come throughout all time. Remember, Jesus referred to Himself as the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end. The references to the Alpha and the Omega refer to the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. This means not only is He there at the first and the last – God is there through all times FROM the beginning to the end. That should give us great comfort; not only for ourselves, but for all the generations to come.
My encouragement this evening is to let you know that God wants to draw people closer to Himself and you are no exception. My prayer is that you will encourage your family members to walk with God and trust Him throughout all the years of their lives. So, on this special day, Happy Birthday, Connor – may you have a healthy, wonderful life, hand in hand with the LORD of the universe who will walk beside you every step of the way!
Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…