There are so many wonderful things that have happened this term, but as I reflect over the last ten weeks, the greatest thing for me personally would have to be the birth of my first grandchild. I’m sorry, but it wasn’t GCC winning a sports carnival or the Gala Music night or even one of my students getting an A+ for the first time. This family event was more special than anything that occurred at school.
Our kids (and grandkids) are more important than our work, our careers and our friendships. As parents (and grandparents), God has entrusted these young people into our hands for safekeeping, to help nurture them and grow them. They are ours for only a short time and then they are released to set up their own families. It is an awesome but scary responsibility.
When I saw my son cradle his newborn daughter, memories came flooding back to the time I cradled him. How quickly the past 25 years had flown.
- Did I do a good job raising him?
- Did I provide the best opportunities for him?
- Did he turn out to be the person I hoped for when I first held him?
Imogen Grace Heyworth – you are so beautiful and so unique. There isn’t another person that has ever lived who is like you.
God makes us all so special so,
- Why the heck doesn’t He give an instruction manual when babies are born.
- I’d love to see Baby Heyworth v1274.2019 manual.
I didn’t need instructions on how to change nappies or even an explanation of what to do when they scraped their knee playing soccer. I needed help when they asked the “But why” questions or advise on when to have the talk about “the birds and the bees”.
As I have got older, and I hope a bit wiser, I have come to realise that in fact, God has a pretty amazing manual on how to live that provides the guiding principles of raising a child the right way. Yep, it’s called the Bible. Check it out and see for yourself the things it says or google “Biblical principles for raising a child.” You’ll be pretty amazed by what you’ll find.
Our kids are one of our most precious possessions, even though, as I said, they are not truly ours but are on loan to us. We consider it such an honour that you have placed them into our hands to help educate them. I say help because I believe the primary educator is the parent.
I trust and pray that you have a wonderful winter holiday with your children. Enjoy every moment with them because time will fly, and one day you will also hear the words Grandad or Grandma!
Grandad Heyworth