During this special season Becky and I spent part of the holidays with our two children and their families in two locations. Josh, Becca, Noah and Isa live in Spring Hill, outside Nashville. Drew, Lisa, Nick, Levi and Hannah are in Arlington, a suburb of Memphis.
While visiting our family in Spring Hill we all were watching the new Disney movie, TOGO. It is a thrilling, exciting, breathtaking true story about a sled dog in Alaska. In one particular death defying segment Noah jumped beside me and grabbed my hand. I don’t know who was more spellbound by the scene, him or me. As he held on with a death grip I thought back nine years when I first held him in my arms. Sitting next to your grandson with his little hand in yours is a great way to spend an evening; especially for this Papa.
Then, two days later Becky and I attend the Christmas Eve service with Drew and his family at their home church. He is on the praise team. It was a wonderful night of vocal and orchestrated music all about the Savior. During one particular song, Levi, who is being held by Becky, looks at his Daddy and a smile covers his entire face. He looks up at me, clutches my hand with his little hand and points to Drew. Instantly I thought of the first time I held Drew’s tiny, little hand. He was almost three months premature and his hand would fit around the first joint of my index finger. Now he is a Daddy and his son has his hand in mine. Doesn’t get any better than that.
How humbling to realize that many years ago another child placed his hand in the hand of his earthly father while being held in the hand of his heavenly Father. No wonder this child would one day say, “Suffer the little children to come unto Me…”
Christmases come and go, but this one will always be special. I had the joy of holding two little hands who will someday to the same for their grandchildren.