Dear Canon,

You came into this world in the early hours of October 14, 2009. Your grandmother and I drove through the night for over nine hours. We had hoped to be there at your birth, but we missed that moment by a few hours. Still, our hearts melted the first time we saw you.

Your Grandma Jo Jo cried openly when she saw you. I choked back tears. You are such an incredible blessing to us. Though you have been in this world for just a few days, we already love you so much.

Canon, I want to be the best granddad possible, but I know I will make some mistakes. But please hear some commitments I am making to you and God as your life unfolds.

I promise to pray for you. I will pray for your health. I will pray for clear direction from God for you. I will even begin praying for the right wife for you, even though that’s years down the road. Above all, I will pray for your salvation. I pray that you will discover the grace that comes by faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing is more important.

I commit to being supportive of your parents in all they do to raise you in the ways of the Lord. You have been given an incredible mom and dad. They love you so much. I want to be the type of granddad that always supports your parents. I want to heed to their desires for your life and follow them accordingly.

I promise to always be there for you. When you get old enough to use the phone, your calls will be a priority. Nothing will be more important than talking to you. I want to be with you as much as we can be together. The years are going rapidly, and I want to spend as much time as possible with you. I already have dreams of taking you to the beach, to football games, or wherever you would like to go. I just want to be with you.

I plan to be your biggest fan. Of course, I don’t know what paths you will pursue, but I will be there to encourage you, to cheer you on, to remind you that you can do anything in God’s strength. It will be so exciting to see how God will direct you and how He will use you.

You see, I know God has great plans for your life. I can’t even imagine the ways that He will use you. It will be a pure joy to watch His plan unfold in your life.

Canon, before I ever married your grandmother, I had dreams of having children. I prayed that God would give me the opportunity to mold the lives of those He entrusted to me. God answered my prayers beyond measure. Your Uncle Sam, Uncle Art, and your dad are three of the greatest joys of my life.

But, as my own three sons grew, I began to dream and pray about the joy of having grandchildren. You are the first grandchild. You are the first answer to those prayers. You are the next generation of blessing to me.

I love you so very much, Canon. You may not fully know the breadth and depth of my love until you have your own children and grandchildren. But please know that I love you.

My own dad died before your father was born. Every time your dad experiences a significant milestone in his life, I feel a lump in my throat because he didn’t have his granddad to be there for it. God willing, I will be there for you. God willing, we will have many great years together.

But I realize that this life is brief. I will be gone for most of your years. I pray that I will leave to you a legacy of love, a legacy of joy, and a legacy that demonstrated a heart committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, and only then, can I say that my years with you were not lived in vain.

I love you, my grandson. I love you so very much.

Granddad

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Thom Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, and for 15 years prior to that led a church and denominational consulting firm. He is the author of 21 books, including his latest, "Simple Life."