God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. – Genesis 1:29-31

One of the best things about being so close to Naomi, Craig, and the grandchildren is the opportunity we have to mark time and to literally watch David and Beks grow up in front of our eyes. It’s a lot like springtime in the garden, the wonder of witnessing new leaves, shoots, and blossoms bursting out in real time.

Both children are growing by leaps and bounds.

“I’m walking up the stairs by myself because I’m a big girl now,” Beks tells me on the way to bed.

“So big you don’t need that crib anymore,” I reply, “gesturing to the crib mattress on the floor.

Her eyes just about jump out of her head.

“Are you kidding me?” she laughs, before making sure she still had Simba the lion, Bear, Mrs. Giraffe, and both her special blankets arranged in their proper places.

David is Mr. Politeness. “Thank you so much for driving us home,” David says when we pull into his Richmond neighborhood Sunday afternoon. Then, “It was so very nice of you to come and see us,” when it is time for me to leave.

THE LIFE IMPERATIVE! Sunday afternoon was essentially a drop them off and run situation, but I still had to get down onto the floor to see them demonstrate the vintage micro-machine garage that used to belong to Craig, and then watch David point out the finer features of his new Thomas the Tank Engine train bridge.

They’re not just growing all the time, they’re learning all the time. All the time. As parents and grandparents we don’t get to pick and choose the learning thing. When they are with us they are constantly soaking it all in. Our words, our actions, our priorities, our disposition, our faith, our faithfulness – or otherwise – toward God.

Simply put, these children are miracles. They are living, breathing, developing, compelling evidences of the impossible to avoid principle that creation is ongoing, that the future is right at our doorstep, and that we – that’s you, and that’s me – are key players in God’s plan, moving forward.

So my Monday morning question is this: Are we moving forward? Are we willing to participate in God’s plan? Or are we simply marking time? It doesn’t matter how young we are – or how old we are becoming, we are responsible to the constant imperative to live.

– DEREK

watching