Our grandson is here

It seems like every one of my blogs has been serious, dealing with current politics, challenges to Christianity, cultural drift in America. But something amazing happened this week to change my focus -- the birth of my grandson, Evan William Zacharias.

I was teaching a class at Palomar College when my cell phone rang. I had told my students not to have cell phones active during class, but I also told them there was going to be an exception for me that day since I knew my daughter-in-law Janelle had gone into labor a few hours earlier. I stood there talking to my wife Sharon with a stupid grin on my face as I repeated the key statistics for the whole class to hear -- 7 lbs. 9 oz., 19 inches long, a great head of hair. After I hung up, I told them, "I'm a grandpa. His name is Evan, and he and his mom are doing well." I got a round of applause, the first time that's ever happened to me in the classroom.

That was a long morning. I had a hard time concentrating on anything to do with English when there was something far more important waiting for me at Pomerado Hospital. The hours dragged by until we had a chance to go down that afternoon to see our son Jordan, Janelle, and Evan.

Now, keep in mind that I am not a real baby person. I like looking at them, and I am happy for the new mom and dad, but I'm a typical guy -- babies don't seem particularly interesting to me. That all changed when I held Evan for the first time. I told Sharon that I could have spent hours holding him and looking down at his sweet face.

The whole "miracle of life" cliché came to life that day. He was so perfect, the fingernails were tiny but formed so precisely, his ears were delicate, his skin was soft, his eyelashes were beautiful. He was a living work of art. And just as every work of art needs an artist, he had to be formed by God, the ultimate artist who painted such an incredible universe. They say there are no atheists in foxholes; I don't think there can be any atheists holding a baby.

Jordan and Janelle have started down a challenging road as they raise Evan. As grandparents, Sharon and I want to help them. All our friends who have grandchildren tell us of the joys ahead, so we are looking forward to playing our roles. We will spoil him, support his mom and dad, brag about him, play with him, listen to him, pray with him, and do all of the other cool things grandparents get to do. When the diaper is full, when he gets cranky -- that's the time to hand him back to his parents.

Evan reminds me of something important. In the middle of tough economic news, political mismanagement, and global upheavals, he is a reminder that life is worth living. He is a vote for the future. He is a gift from God, letting us know someone far greater than us is in charge. Thank you, Evan, for changing my heart and helping me see beyond the chaos of this world. Sleep peacefully in the arms of your parents--you are loved by us and by God.