Living Expectantly…

Leeland James Hollis

9/14/12

7lbs & 9oz, 21″

I can’t believe my baby boy has his own baby boy. Mom and baby are doing just great.

As we waited for little Leeland to arrive, I noticed that the nursery had already prepared baby Hollis’ bed. They had lined it with blankets and all of the other things they would need to take care of a newborn.  And we waited…

It was a long day…Jess went into the hospital at 1 am and Leeland was born around 10:20 pm. But there was such excitement in the air because we were living with the expectation of seeing this baby boy!

The docs decided that a C-section was needed. So all of  Leeland’s grandparents, some aunts and uncles, and a few cousins expectantly waited in the hallway between the operating room and the nursery because we knew this is where we would get our first peek!

It seemed like an eternity, but before we knew it, the nurse made her way down the hallway with a blue blanket filled with Leeland! Grandmother Andi squealed in delight and the cameras and iPhones were snapping pics right and left!

So finally our little empty baby bed was now filled with a pink, squirmy baby boy crying his heart out! Little cousin Esther (3 yrs old) said in a sad voice, “Leeland doesn’t like me.” I guess she thought his crying was directed toward her – so cute!

What really melted my heart was to see my own son Caleb looking over his baby boy. Psalm 128:5 says, “Indeed, may you see your children’s children.” Indeed – what a blessing to see the love pouring out of Caleb as he stood over Leeland.

Lulu (my grandma name) held it together pretty well until Sunday morning. We were worshiping in song at Underwood Baptist and we began to sing “In Christ Alone”. When it got to the phrase “from life’s first cry to final breath – Jesus commands my destiny” – Lulu had a little come apart! 

What if we lived our lives watching for Jesus with the same expectancy that we had while waiting for that bed to be filled? Our eyes would constantly be cast toward the sky as we lived out life here below. We would be texting, calling, stopping people in the street to tell them – “Hey Jesus is coming! Are you ready?” We should be living expectantly for our Messiah to return!

Well, Lulu has already been praying that God would set apart Leeland as a chosen vessel for serving the Kingdom! I am so glad that Psalm 100 tells us that God’s faithfulness and lovingkindness extends to ALL generations! Let’s live expectantly for the King! And I know without a doubt that my sweet daughter-in-love and son will raise Leeland in such a way that he will be pointed toward Christ each and everyday!

Oh and PoppaT is pretty proud too…