Grandchildren are Love Multipliers

We have been blessed with four children--24, 19, nine and one.

“What big gaps you say!” We started when I was a teen mom at 17. We were blessed again a few years later with our daughter. Sadly, we decided my husband should get a vasectomy. A year later we began our homeschool journey and I quickly became convicted that we had made a mistake about stopping children. It took seven years for my husband's heart to change and have a reversal. We waited two years after that to conceive and another eight years before God sent our youngest, little Ruby Jean.

We have loved our children and relished being parents. Last year God brought a wonderful young man for our daughter to marry. I wasn't ready. I wanted to enjoy her in my home for a few more years, but we knew this was God's will for our sweet Renee.

God blessed them with a baby right away. She suffers with migraines which made her pregnancy very hard and I spent a lot of time by her side. Renee and Jacob agreed for me to be in the delivery room with them. As the time approached I became nervous. I thought I would not be able to handle seeing my baby suffer, but God gave me courage.

At 10:30 pm on the 24th of May, Renee told me she felt extreme pressure in her back. I told my husband that they will call in two hours. At 12:30 am Renee and Jacob headed to the hospital with me right behind them. Renee was 6 cm. when we arrived, and she had a beautiful labor and delivery. She was able to labor almost the entire time in the water.

This was a surreal time for me. What a gift they gave to me. I cannot even find words to express how special it was. Watching Renee and Jacob go through it with such love and tenderness and trust in God was beautiful beyond measure. Jackson Harrison Lingo was born at 5:34 am. on May 25th. Memorial Day. What a glorious day!

I have always heard that you love your grandchildren more than your own children. I could not even fathom I could love someone more than my own children, but in one moment my world changed. I did not love him more than Renee. No. But my love knew no bounds. I love this baby and, yet I loved my daughter more than I ever had. She was never more beautiful to me than in that moment. My love for my sweet son-in-love grew as well. He became mine. He is the daddy to this baby and part of us now.

In the hours and days that followed my love grew for Jacob’s parents and grandparents. Watching them love this baby that I loved so much made my heart full. Seeing them in Jackson, and how God makes the two one flesh, left an indelible mark on my soul. All of us love this child so much and this makes us all love one another more.

When you marry someone, you chose that person. When your children marry God brings two families together. Then you love people just because you all love the same two people who came together. I do not know how to describe this except to say that grandchildren are love multipliers. They cause you to love everyone more. They bring love between two families as they make two families one.

I am so thankful, and my heart is so full of gratitude to a sovereign God who knew from the beginning of time that Michael and I would marry and have Renee. He knew that Philip Lingo would marry Trish and have Jacob. He knew that Jacob would marry Renee and we would all have Jackson Harrison Lingo. I love God’s ways.

RACHAEL STOKES
Centerville, Tennessee, USA
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