After a long wait and much prayer, Holly Grace Elizabeth Bull arrived at 11.52am on Monday 23rd December weighing 7lbs and 11oz. Lucy and Niven had come round to the manse first thing, on their way to the hospital, and Lindsay had gone along with them to help. I still had my watch night sermon to work on, and I was just finishing when the phone rang. I picked it up to hear Lindsay’s voice. All she said was ‘It’s a girl!’
It’s astonishing how much a grandchild can change your life. All the young people now take great delight in calling me ‘Grandpa John!’ I carry Holly’s photos on my phone and have mastered the art of how to find them so I can show her off to the many people who ask (and often to the people who don’t ask too). My conversations, whether with the neighbours next door or the local head teacher, now generally start with a discussion of how she is, and a conversation about babies in general.
Our days are now divided into ordinary days and ‘Holly days’. Our lives are taken up with the smallest details of her life. Is she feeding properly? Did she sleep last night? Is she putting on weight? Not to mention her first bath, her first time out in the pram, her first time on a bus, her first time on a train. All these events have to be shared and discussed.
Our house is slowly being invaded by Holly’s things. These range from a spare changing mat and blankets, to a spare bouncy chair and buggy which was donated by a friend – ‘for the times when she is staying over’. We have been overwhelmed by cards and gifts, acting as a staging post for them on their way to the Bull family home in Mewadowbank. Every day she seems to be wearing a different outfit. I had no idea babies had such an eye for fashion. She even has her own Manchester United team shirt (size one), so that she and her daddy can sit and watch the match together.
And all of this began just a few short hours before we, at Liberton and across the world, gathered to celebrate the birth of another child – one who has changed countless lives over the years. Christmas Day has come and gone, but God’s gift of children remains, a constant reminder of God’s love and grace.
Much love,
John
Loving Father,
We pray for families throughout the world, as they share in the joy of watching children grow. We pray especially for those who are finding it hard just now – the poor, the refugee, and those who have little support.
Open our eyes to ways in which we can make a difference in the lives of others, sharing in the love you have made real to us in Jesus.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen