A few weeks ago I became a grandmother for the first time. Our daughter, Rebekah, gave birth to an adorable and healthy baby girl. Rebekah and Mike had worked hard for this magic moment, enduring three infertility interventions.
The week of her scheduled inducement, people across our family and in our faith community were holding this family in prayer. In a world which seems more and more inhospitable, anxious, and even dangerous, we all need to be reassured that good things still happen that bring joy.
A shared joy was expressed in many sincere email congratulations. One friend said, "Grandchildren fill the hole in your heart that you didn't know you had." There's something mystical about new life appearing before your eyes, carrying the promises of fresh beginnings and new possibilities.
While a new baby is a special miracle, there are other ways for the hole in one's heart to be filled. Think of the birth of a creative endeavor, signs of Spring, or seeing animals give birth -- even landing a desirable job. On our farm, the birth of lambs who get up on wobbly legs minutes after birth, looking for mother’s milk, is an ongoing miracle and source of joy.
But, I have to say, holding a newborn -- with that proverbial blank slate when every experience is new and possibilities are endless -- does fill one's heart with hope. And in our fractious culture today, I claim that hope and look for more signs of it to keep me sane and centered in our Creator.
I’m Connie Seraphine, and that’s my perspective.
