1 Samuel 1:27 — I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. (NIV).

Proverbs 17:6 – Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers (ESV)

Today is my grandson’s birthday.  He will be nine – his last year with a single digit age.  He is closer to being a teen-ager than a toddler.  He is my height and wears the same size shoe as his mom.  I’m sitting with my coffee and my photo albums, looking back over the years, and strolling down Memory Lane.  I look at his newborn pictures and remember the night we got “the on-the-way-to-the-hospital, this-is-it” call.  My husband and I were sound asleep with the phone rang but wide-awake the second that our son spoke those magic words!  Any other time, we lived about four hours away from the hospital, but those interstate speed limits can sometimes just be suggestions — and not very realistic ones at all!  We spent the night either dozing or pacing in the hospital lobby, but when the elevator doors opened to reveal our son’s beaming face, the long night was forgotten.  I still get teary at the memory of seeing my baby holding his baby for the first time.  From the moment I first saw my grandson, I called him my precious darling.  When he was two, someone told him that he was too big to be my precious darling.  His immediate reply was “I will ALWAYS be her precious darling”!!  Smart, cute, and a prophet! I think of how much I love this little boy, and it takes my breath away.  I have spent hours sitting with him and watching the same movie over and over and over again.  I have cried because his feelings were hurt.  I have been livid because he was treated unfairly.  I watch him grow and feel such pride.  I pray for him to become the man that You want him to be.  He is such a bold witness for you at this young age, and I pray that his enthusiasm for Your kingdom will mature and grow even stronger as his body does the same.  I know that somewhere there is a little girl growing up to be his wife, and I pray for her too.  I prayed for this child before he was born, and You have given me more than I even asked of You.  He truly is the crown of his grandparents.  Thank You, Lord for allowing us the blessing of this precious child.  And thank You for those sweet words that make my heart swell and bubble over with joy – “I love you, Granny”.