Every now and then there is a day (or night) that we never forget. I had one of them last night. A very very special night. Let me explain.....
About a month and a half ago our daughter and son-in-law brought two grandchildren into our lives. Bennett and Olivia are indeed the two most beautiful kids on the face of the earth. And last night, they stayed overnight with us. They came into this world a little sooner than planned and had to spend a little time at the NICU getting bigger and stronger, but that's another story sometime in the future. Let the record show they are on track now. So allowing them to stay overnight with Grandpa and Grandma was no little step for their mom and dad.
Now we've had a lot of face time with the kids over the last few weeks, but taking care of them overnight was like one of those "Up Close and Personal" segments on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The kids were absolutely perfect and I suspect they each put on about a pound during the night. I like to eat, but these guys eat around-the-clock like little birds in a nest. Can you believe it, they wanted a three course meal at 8:00PM, 1:00AM, 5:00AM and then demanded seconds at 9:00AM. We were certainly glad their mom packed plenty of chow for them!
Anyway, at the 1:00AM feeding I was shuffling around the kitchen and my better half (the one I'm not allowed to mention in this blog) shrieked as she groggily shuffled past the front door. At the moment of the shriek, I was busy holding Bennett (or was it Olivia?) and attempting to warm a bottle of high octane baby formula. My instinct upon hearing the shriek was to drop the baby (kersplat) on the kitchen floor and climb up on a chair to reach safer heights. Not me however, I bravely carried the kid with me to the front door to find my wife pointing to a tiny bright green frog that had somehow sneaked its way into the house. E???? bravely opened the front door and we herded the tiny critter back outside. The fear quickly subsided and calm again prevailed in our house.
So what is the likelihood something as traumatic as a frog appearing in the house would occur two times in the same 24 hour period? As it turns out, 100%!!! Yup, it repeated at the 5:00AM feeding? This time as I again groggily staggered with kid in arms to the kitchen sink I saw a gray pile of something on the kitchen counter behind the sink faucet. I rubbed my eyes to get a clearer view, and believe it or not, saw another little frog (actually a toad this time). He was greedily eyeing a small dish of raspberries that E????? had picked earlier in the day and left out to ripen a little more. This ugly little guy was quickly evicted out the back door wrapped in a paper towel. From his perspective, not the most graceful exit...no doubt he has had better days!
So that's another episode of life in the fast lane at Gettin Older's house. Now you are no doubt wondering why this was such an unforgettable night. Did I mention how much I love those little kids and how spending time with them is one of the absolute pleasures of my life. Now don't get all teary eyed at the thought. They're eating, pooping and peeing little machines to the world, but to me and to Grandma, these tykes are the most precious jewels God ever made. How great it is to be bonded together into a family.
This little epic reminds me of Romans 8:14-17. Here Paul tells us that we're all part of God's family...yes, real children and legitimate heirs of the most powerful and holy God. Just like a grandparent thinks his grandchildren are the best, so too God views those who love him as the best and as his real children. As I settle into the role of grandfather I am coming to understand what my relationship to God really means to God and to me. How cool is that I ask you?
"The happiest man is the one who lives simply in the way that pleases God."
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