Reality Induces Love

She was a bit more than 12 hours old when I first held her.  I did not get to hold her on her birthday, though I would have loved to do so.  Between her Mommy and her Daddy, her dance card was filled and all I could do was watch with everyone else who wanted to hold her.  I certainly understood.  People were describing it as “skin to skin” time.  I’m not sure where all of that fancy language came from.  When we had children we did not have a special name for it, we just did it.

In an odd sort of way, we generally think of love as something that one “grows”, or “falls” into.  In one sense that is true.  I “fell” in love with my sweetheart and, truth be told, I’m still falling in love with her.  It’s been happening for over 46 years.  We watched as Charissa and Ryan “fell” in love with one another little by little over a span of time.  Linda and I “grew” to love Ryan a little at a time.  Margaret, however, just splashed (she was, after all born in a pool of water) into the world and without even a single moment of “skin to skin” time my heart just waved the white flag and surrendered.  I knew it to be true, just as I had suspected, the moment my heart welled and my eyes filled as Charissa handed the little bundle of warmth over into my arms for the first time.  I held her close and listened to the little cooing sounds of contentment that she made and I softly sang …

Jesus loves you, this I know; For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong; They are weak but He is strong.

Jesus, loves Margo.  Jesus loves Margo.

Jesus loves Margo.  The Bible tells me so.

And then I whispered, “I love you, Margo … but Jesus loves you more.”

At that moment, I was suddenly transported in my mind to a time nearly two month’s previous.  My mother’s name was Margaret.  She was promoted to glory, in April, at the age of 92, just short of two months prior to Margo’s birthday.  She was deeply moved and honored when she found out that Margo was going to bear her name.  My mom came to know Christ very late in life.  It gave me a great sense of peace and joy know that my last words to my mother in this life were, “I love you Mom, but Jesus loves you more.”

And now my first words to her namesake were almost identical. My prayer is that Margaret (a.k.a.: Muffette) will come early in response to the call of the Savior.