"A Baby Changes Everything"

My daughter left our home when she was 18. It wasn't a joyous time in our home. She couldn't live by our rules. She thought our rules were stupid. She continued breaking them. We asked her to leave. She found a job in Ohio as a nanny and left our home. Several months down the road we got a phone call from our daughter. "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. I screwed up. Can I come home? Oh, and one other thing, I'm pregnant." She was calling us from a homeless shelter in Tampa, FL. How in the heck she got from Ohio to Tampa I still don't understand.

Our pregnant 19 year old daughter came home to live with us. It wasn't long before she decided to give her baby up for adoption through a Christian agency. It was an open adoption. Kiersten had a boy and then passed the baby along to a loving Christian couple who had been praying for a baby of their own for 9 years.

After the baby was born, Kiersten continued to stay with us and went to college. We helped her financially but we asked her to do one simple thing. Go to school and get passing grades. She didn't do either one. Additionally, she was went right back to the lifestyle that got her into the first big mess in her life. It wasn't long before we had to ask Kiersten to leave our home again. It wasn't fun this time. It's never fun when asking your daughter to leave your home involves a visit from the police.

Fast forward to last year. Kiersten introduced us to her new boyfriend. He seemed nice enough. It wasn't long before Kiersten told us she was pregnant. Her boyfriend was the father and they planned on raising the baby together. It was then that I threw up my hands in disgust and gave up on my daughter. I even called her on the phone and told her that I didn't want anything to do with her, her boyfriend or the baby. Guess I won't be winning that Father of the Year Award.

Hit the fast forward button again. Just days before Fridays August 7Th. God laid on my heart that I had been a complete dork. He reminded me that He has accepted me and loved me no matter what even though I have made nearly 3 million mistakes in my life. I'm pretty sure I've screwed up at least 20 times today. God told me that I needed to be there for my daughter on the day my grandson was born and that I needed to be a part of their lives. On Friday August 7Th, I picked up some flowers in the hospital lobby and took the elevator to the 2ND floor. I walked into the room. It was full of people but the only thing I saw was my grandson Troy.

I know that God is the only one that can confirm why this is all happening. In my opinion, I think that God has brought my grandson Troy into this world to heal the relationship between my daughter and I. Last Saturday, Kiersten and my grandson came to visit. The photo below is of me holding my sleeping grandson. Today was Kiersten's boyfriend's birthday. I called him to wish him a happy birthday. Although he didn't say it, I could tell by the sound in his voice that he was very surprised that I called. I was too. God is using a baby boy to change my heart. I praise God for that. God, thank you for my grandson Troy.