And Then, God Created Grandparents...
Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 01:33AM 
Max Lucado writes, “You trace a soft finger across tiny, sleeping eyes, and wonder, “God gave you to me?” Let me tell you…or remind you…about the joys of grandparenting, as opposed to parenting.
Parents stand close…often too close…to their miracle to drink in the wonder of it all. Their focus is on the multitude of tasks, the urgency of care, the responsibility of a new life now living under their roof. The daily dose of relentless pressure presses in on them. In their brief moments of respite, they are more apt to seek a quiet place, a few minutes of uninterrupted peace, rather than to lose themselves in the awe of God’s gift. Oh, they know, and love, and hold, and cuddle and breathe thanksgiving to God, but it is cut short by an eye on the clock. Feeding time, sleeping time, playing time…and then time to do the laundry and time to visit the doctor, and time to run to the store for more diapers and all the other paraphernalia that babies need.
But grandparents…they are a different story. Time means nothing to them. They have time to step back and get totally lost in the bigger picture. They have time to stare into bright, little eyes when sleeping time is over and trace their fingers over the lips protruding with a pitiful cry, around the dainty, pink ears, and beneath the quivering chin. Grandparents have untold quantities of unaccountable time to rock, to feel the little heartbeat and stomach breathing in and out, and be content with no more excitement than an occasional yawn or twitch of the face. They have time to talk hours on end about a dimple, a wrinkle, the shape of a foot or the sound of a whimper. They don’t have to be bothered with feeding times, nap times or all that other nonsense. After all, that’s why God made parents. He specifically made grandparents to coo, and laugh, and hold, and sit in the wonder of divinely created life. Someone had to notice how delicate the ears are, or how perfectly shaped the nose is, or how sweet the cry is, or how cute the tiniest facial expressions are. No one is better suited to do these important jobs than grandparents. Much of God’s finer work would go unappreciated if it were not for grandparents. (I also suspect that many grandparents try to make up in the grandchildren for what they missed in their children.)
Having said all of that, I want to thank Ryan and Megan Jordan for their part in giving us MaKinzie. They are great parents. Maybe great parents is what it takes for grandparents!
Reader Comments (1)
congrats to Mark & Sandy.(and the "parents ,as well)
Being a grand-parent will make idiots out
of you. I know because my grand-son was born
14 months ago. I have shown serious signs of
brain-trouble since April 24,2006.