It isn’t every day a grandma gets to help birth a baby! But today was one of those amazing days.

Even though my role was minor (conversing during labor, fanning an overheated mama, running for cool cloths), the grand finale’ was extraordinary for all six of us as we welcomed baby Isaac William into Linnea and Adam’s family. He joins Skylar, Micah, and Autumn, a happy pack of 4 children born in 5 years.

Birthing a baby is no small feat, and labor is well named. But Linnea was a trooper, enduring her unexpectedly long ordeal with stoicism and patience. As labors go, her 8 hour effort wasn’t especially long, but after 3 lightning fast labors, this one was a surprise.

As always, though, once the baby was in-arms, the duration of labor no longer mattered. As the book of Proverbs says, “the desire accomplished is sweet to the soul” (13:19), and nothing could diminish our joy. Later, as we sat pondering who “little” Isaac (9 pounds 1 ounce) would turn out to be, we knew that our wonderings had already been personally determined by God himself. And since that was true, we knew he was headed for a grand future.

“Father in heaven, may Isaac hear you calling his name while still a little child, and may he love you so steadfastly that he never turns away.”

“May you become blameless and pure, [a child] of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.Then you will shine…. like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” (Phil. 2:14-16)