Recently, my grandchildren stayed with my wife and me for a few days. Our daughter and son-in-law were away, and, of course, eager grandparents that we are, we agreed without hesitation to take care of them. We had taken care of our grandson, the older of our two grandkids previously, but this year there are now two of them, our granddaughter being the newest family member.
My wife and I divided each day they were with us in half, me caring for the children in the morning and my wife caring for them in the afternoon, with each of us going to work and putting full workdays in with staggered schedules. We did that for four days.
Easy enough, right? No. I have not been double-teamed by a toddler and an infant in more than 30 years. My morning shifts with the grandkids were flurries of feeding, picking up toys, keeping our very energetic grandson busy and entertained, changing my granddaughter’s diapers (which she does not enjoy and causes her to be fussy), feeding her with her bottle, and carrying her around because she likes to be held and is fussy when put down.
When I arrived at the office those days, I walked in a little tired with an aching back and a bit of baby burp evidence on my clothes. The work of those chores was much easier in my 30s. I also grinned from “ear to ear,” to quote the old adage, with that deep joy that only a grandparent knows after spending time with his or her grandkids.
That joy I’ve just described is rooted in my firm belief that being a grandparent is a vocation, something to which God called me. It is one of a number of vocations in my life, others being husband, father, brother, son and deacon, to name a few. Just as God placed my beloved children in my life several decades ago, He has now gifted me with beloved grandchildren and all that goes with that newest vocation, both the joys and responsibilities.
Sacred scripture describes vocations as real and divine callings for which the Lord gives us the grace to fulfill those vocations. The word “vocation” is from the Latin word “vocatio,” which means a “call” or “invitation.”
In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain … (Jn 15:16).”
When God calls us to a vocation, He is drawing us into something that is more than a career choice or commitment to a cause or hobby. A vocation is transcendent and serves to fulfill the Lord’s wishes for our lives and enables us to know and love Him fully and to know and love others fully. A vocation leads us toward God and His Kingdom. A vocation challenges us to serve through the gifts with which God has blessed us.
This is true for all people in all walks of life and in all places. Each, through his or her vocations, have wonderful opportunities to walk more closely with God and with one another, no matter what one’s place in life may be.
When I spend time with my grandchildren, it is not, as you can see from what I wrote above, all fun and play and then handing them back to their parents when I am weary. Embracing this particular vocation means to be called to model for those newest children in my family what a good granddad, dad, brother, son, and friend is. And that occurs through a conscious decision, through words and, even more importantly, action. It means being a reflection of Jesus Christ. To love and support those youngsters in the same manner that our Lord and savior would.
Not spoiling them. Not trying to be their special pals. Not to be a constant supplier of toys and candy. No. While there is a lot of fun to this vocation, work and dedication are an absolute part of it too. In the midst of the joy, letting the children also see how we are Christlike toward their parents (our daughter and son-in-law), how we support their parenting and discipline, how everyone in the family worships God consistently, to name a few.
This is why I refer to grandparenting as a joyful vocation, even though it is so much more than just playing and having fun with the “kiddos.” There is a profound peace and joy that comes from pursuing the vocations to which God calls us with all our minds, hearts and souls. This peace and joy cannot be given to a person by the world. Only turning to God accomplishes what I am writing about today.
During the World Day for Vocations in 2001, St. John Paul II said, “The word vocation is a very good definition of the relationship that God has with every human being in the freedom of love, because every life is a vocation.”
Every life is a vocation. I cannot say it better than that. And, from our lives flow invitations to specific working vocations that can enrich our lives, enrich the world, and honor God. Today, let us pray to the Lord to see our vocations clearly, to support more effectively one another in their vocations, and to be really, really open to hearing what God’s call to vocation means in our own lives. Amen!
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