It was about 2:45a.m. when I woke up, mind racing from the news I had received from Tracy. I was going to be a dad again! For the 7th time! “Oh my gosh, I am almost 45 years old!” kept racing through my mind. People are going to think I am a nut case — I’ve had children in the ’60’s, ’70s, ’80s, and now the ’90s! After walking around for a while, I sat down and opened my Bible, knowing I needed help! One of the first verses I saw was Psalm 127:3, 5a. Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! Since none of my children had yet reached middle teenage years, I felt anxious. My immaturity moved me to ask God why that verse was true.
From that day forward I never wondered again because God blessed me with an answer so plain and straightforward that it was as if you were sitting on the sofa, informing me of something wonderful, with a great big smile on your face. Children are a blessing because the more of them you have the greater capacity you have to see them and love them, the same way I see you and love your brothers and sisters all over the earth. I will never forget that because as I look at each you, I see uniqueness, despite the fact that you grew up in the same house, went to the same schools and churches, and ate the same food. No two of you are alike and it is hard to imagine not loving one of you, regardless of what you may have done or what you might do.
That verse has come to mean so much to me that recently I had an opportunity to obtain a page from the original printing of the 1621 KJV Bible of that page. Money was no object! So many lessons have come from that verse in addition to what I learned during the conversation He and I had that night. For example, love does not always mean giving you what you want, because that is not reality. Though there are certain rules of the household, the truth is that each one of you is unique and the same methods of direction and discipline do not work equally as well on all of you. With the blessing of a large family comes great joy, massive amounts of love, unnumbered memories, and endless possibilities for grandchildren that never cease to amaze their grandparents. Yet, there are also the moments of concern, fear, and disappointment. The hardest part is knowing that you will experience pain and suffering. I have no way to explain how I agonize with you during those times. I know it is you experiencing it, but my love for you has inextricably bound me to your very being.
Let me see if I can explain how I feel about you. You are my greatest joy. You are one of God’s greatest achievements. I count you all as my greatest blessings. I only hope that you experience the joy and wisdom that can only be obtained by being a parent. Our society is selfish and will try to focus you on yourself. A parent’s love is another blessing God has dared you to experience and promised you rewards beyond your imagination. You have exceeded my expectations of blessings just because of who you are.
Love, Dad