There’s Just Something About “The First”

The first bicycle; the first dance, the first boyfriend, the first kiss, the first home, and the first child. Though the love is no stronger for any of my seven grandchildren from the other, there is still “just something” about the FIRST. Who knew that all those silly, photo-toting, beaming-from-ear-to-ear, incessantly jabbering about their grandkids — were just being authentic, and desperately-in-love grandparents? It never made sense to me until my heart fell in love like that, too! I knew I’d love my “first”, but hardly expected him to utterly melt my heart.

We get to practice grandparenting with “the first”. Years before “the first”, I had a HOPE chest filled with toys, games, and books — HOPING for special times with our “someday” grands. When we saw the first ultrasound picture of our “first” grandson, it was love at first sight. We were smitten.

Of course, I’m going somewhere with this blog today. Besides celebrating the birthday of our first grandchild, Braden Wuerch, I sensed a “call to arms”. The arms of grandparents and the prayers of grandparents that are one of God’s special gifts to those grands and to their parents. First, “Happy Birthday” to my precious, first-born grandson. I am celebrating him today and thanking God for sending us one of His masterpieces. Of course, these would be my photo inspirations for remembering this special day.

I can’t begin to tell you what doting grandparents we were. So much so, that we moved from Winnipeg, Manitoba (after living there for seven years) to Tulsa, OK – just to be close to him. The day he was born, we received the greatest titles ever on the planet – grandparents. Or, as he called us, Papa and Nana. He started the chain reaction of the other grands to come. As for me, I was and am so proud and blessed to be his Nana. We stocked up on all the paraphernalia we needed to accommodate this little guy and sleepovers. When he was a little fussy, we were comic relief to him with all kinds of shenanigans to entertain him. And he’s the one, just a few months ago, who took me in his arms and danced with me when I played one of our (my husband and me) favorite songs. From the get-go, this little guy (and now a very big guy) had/has eyes and a smile that still stops me in my tracks. I don’t think I ever said “no” to any of his requests. Okay, bear with me. I’m sure there were plenty of “no-no’s”!

Here’s the big deal about the first grandchild. They mark the beginning of a new generation. There is a sense of awe and wonder in this season of “the first” grandchild. That baby represents the trajectory of the family’s future. It means that family life will never be the same because of all the new possibilities that having a baby in the family brings.
And, BONUS, as grandparents, we get to be free to enjoy and have fun spoiling our grandchildren. This joy and fun can be compared to the joy of receiving the interest on our investments, where our children ARE the investments and the joy doubles when we get grandchildren in return. Parents discipline; grandparents claim the right to spoil. And we get to pull out our cellphone to show the photos of OUR grandbaby when a friend pulls out theirs.

I believe that grandparenting was one of God’s greatest ideas. But grandparenting doesn’t stop with the fun and enjoyment. God had children and children’s children in mind when he said: “Train them up in the way they should go and when they’re old, they’ll not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

And along with the training, is the praying. Braden’s arrival into this world changed me irrevocably. I prayed for his arrival. I prayed over him as I held him in my arms, as I watched him sleeping in his crib, and as we witnessed so many of his “firsts”. We prayed for his protection, his strength, his wisdom, his God-given destiny in life, and his future wife. Those prayers have been answered in many ways – especially with his darling wife, Ruth! God’s match made in heaven.

The emphasis of this blog today is of course celebrating the birth of our FIRST. But, I’m putting a special “go-to” to all of us who have the God-given role of grandparents. We can be the difference makers in our grandchildren’s lives and significantly impact their future. The most important way to affect the lives of our grandchildren is through our prayers. In the likelihood that they’ll have bruises and scrapes, physically and emotionally, along the way of their lives, those prayers and our love will soften the blows from here to eternity.