“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14
“Grandparenthood is one of life’s rewards for surviving your own children.”
– Erma Bombeck
It’s been a remarkable week. On Monday night, November 24, our lives were transformed with the arrival of Jordan Sierra Jolly, the firstborn daughter of our firstborn daughter Jenna and her husband Michael. I can remember my tears of overwhelming joy from 32 years ago which accompanied my waiting room announcement: “It’s a girl! Jenna Rebecca!” This time, our son-in-law Michael came into the waiting room and shared their good news. All four first-time grandparents and an assortment of brand new aunts and uncles were there to take part in the celebration.
There are no words to adequately describe the joy in holding your baby’s baby. The resemblances between the new baby and my grown up baby poignantly touch my soul, the new generation visually echoing the previous one. That tiny, pink-fleshed, burrito-wrapped bundle, complete with finger nails that already need clipping, is a marvel of creation and life. This herald of the next generation, the continuation of life on earth, the extension of my own family tree all give me a deep mystical connection to some greater purpose and meaning.
Having a newborn certainly sheds fresh light on our Thanksgiving celebration. Time-honored Psalms ring with fresh vibrancy and vitality: “Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth.” “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name.” “Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.” Through the ups and downs of life’s seasons, God keeps giving me reasons to be thankful, to express my gratitude, to lift up my praise. You don’t have to remind me this year why we have Thanksgiving—I’m living it!
Having a newborn will also brighten the colors of Advent and our reflections on the paradox of the coming of Jesus as a newborn baby, the arrival of the eternal Word become flesh. The longer I live, the more the doctrine of the Incarnation impacts me: the Divine One entered into the frailty and contingency of a human body, bearing the sorrows and joys of a human life, sharing our experiences, grieving our losses, knowing our delights, feeling our fears, overcoming our sins. What kind of God invests himself in the life of a newborn baby? The kind who cares to engage with us, to deeply enter into our experiences with us, to show us a way of life that truly is Life. In this Advent Season, may we each “Give praise to the Lord… and make known among the nations what he has done.”
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