Grandchildren

Ann and I are blessed with four grandchildren.  They range in the ages of eleven (11) to five (5) years old.  Our oldest son and wife have two sons and our youngest son and his wife have a son and a daughter (let me add that she has already learned to play the gender card with comments such as "Poppy, you know that I am your only granddaughter.").  Each of these grandchildren have their own gifts, talents, abilities, and personalities.  We have been blessed with the privilege to watch the development of their individual personalities.  We have watched them grow physically, emotionally and spiritually.  I have been privileged to have baptized the three oldest grandchildren and I am already looking forward to baptizing the younger one.  Why am I going into so much detail regarding the changes that have taken place in their lives?  It is more than just the words of a proud grandfather; it is the realization that our Heavenly Father is aware of our daily development concerning our walk with Him.  He was aware of us before our conception and before our birth.  He has been aware of every day of our lives and He will be aware of the remaining days of our lives.  He has planned for us to spend eternity in His presence as we are called to gather with the other members of our spiritual family.  He created us with our various gifts, talents, abilities, and personalities.  He is aware of our strengths but also our weaknesses; yet He has never given up on us.  He has watched our spiritual development and He is aware of those days that we struggle with the onslaught of the adversary.  We can rest assured that the love of God is a daily presence in our lives and we can find comfort and hope in the fact that God has a plan for our lives and that He promises always to be with us.  I can not adequately describe the love that I have for our grandchildren and neither can I adequately describe the love that God has for each of us.  But by faith I accept the fact that God has made His declaration of love over my life and I can walk in the strength of that declaration.