A New Level

I crave your indulgence for another very personal blog. I am Cass Garrettand, on this day, August 10, 2021, my granddaughter, child of my only son, and namesake was born in Columbus, Georgia. I am humbled by the grace of God that she and her mother are healthy and at 8lbs 10oz, she is obviously thriving. I prayed for this outcome and am so overjoyed that my will and God’s were the same. 

I titled this blog A New Level because it is with a renewed sense of purpose and determination that I step out today. In the words of modern pop culture – I have leveled up! I have a calmness in my heart that wasn’t there yesterday. My faith in God has never wavered, but with John having gone to be with the Lord and all the changes of this crazy year, my focus lately has been inward. When I got the call and saw the pictures of her sweet face, I was reminded of something Pastor John shared with me last summer before we even knew this child was coming. He told me that our son was a child of purpose and that his would be a child of balance. Thatdescribes perfectly how I feel in this moment. Balanced. It comes with the subtle reminder that too much of ‘me’ is not a good thing – JESUS is the center and walking in His will and spreading His Gospel to the world out there must be the focus. In no other way can we be balanced and at peace.

I am also reminded that this baby girl is NOT the one who made me a grandmother for the first time. I became one the very day that my son married his sweet wife and her daughter. And there is a basic tenet of our faith wrapped up in joining to a new flock of folks – the adoption of each believer into the family of God. We are no longer orphans cast alone into the world. We are heirs of God and fellow heirs of Christ. We are forever members of the same flock bound by the love of Jesus and one another. We don’t have to add the qualifiers of ‘half’ or ‘in-law’ to the definition of our relationships. Jesus has us ALL standing on the same ‘step’ with the qualifier ‘in Christ.’

I have some advice for you as a parent. My qualifications as a mom can only be judged by the two people who have experience in this matter, and according to my children, I have been a ‘good’ one. (I attribute my endurance to my husband, John, because without his guidance and patience I would have abandoned them, moved to Australia, and changed my name to Lois.) I attribute my ‘goodness’ to God, and here is my advice: the number one thing that John and I did for our kids was make sure they knew what WE believed and that THEY ALONE were responsible for their OWN choice to believe in the truth about the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I charge you with the responsibility God gives us as believers: teach your children about faith while they are young. And always remember, they belong to the Lord. You are their caregivers and guides in this life, but they have free will and a relationship with God that is unique.

Rejoice with me today, my sheep peeps! Thank you for your support, encouragement, and friendship.

In His Service,

<>< Cass