Saucier: You know not

Walking into the obstetrics unit, I noticed a young bearded man kneeling in the corner of the waiting room. He sat back on his heels, lips whispering words, and then leaned to touch his forehead to the floor.

We went to our daughter-in-law’s room, which she shared with a tiny pink bundle they named Elizabeth Marie. As for grandchildren, this was far from our first rodeo, but the ride was just as exciting.

Grandma, claiming the natural right of succession, took the infant in her arms. She teared and tittered, and was lovingly slow to let the little one go.

I insisted that our daughter be the next to take the tiny tot. She had been around for the birth of only one of her nieces and nephews. She deserved the moment to renew that joy.

Finally, it was my turn. Even with our own children, I was apprehensive the first time I cradled them. Elizabeth Marie was so small, so fragile, I felt like a jittery giant holding a priceless porcelain doll.

She must have sensed my unease, doing her newborn best to settle me. She nestled in the crook of my arm, her tranquil sleep assuring me that she felt safe.

Relaxed, I suddenly realized that I was standing waist-deep in grace. It was almost too much.

I marveled at that little miracle. She was beautifully formed in the likeness of a God we cannot begin to comprehend but to Whom we owe the deepest gratitude.

What had we ever done to merit the gift of this child? She was serenity, harmony and hope.

Then a chilling wind cut through that warmth. I could not help but think of the perilous world into which this innocent was born.

What fate would await her when so much of life has lost its sanctity? When war lurks in the shadows? When we defile creation with greed? When tribalism sows its hatred? When our earth is getting crowded, hot and hungry?

I thought again of that Muslim man. As a new father, he may well have been praying for tawakkul, for trust and reliance on Allah.

Perhaps that should be the path for fearful grandfathers as well.

“Just as you know not how the breath of life fashions the human frame in the womb, so you know not the work of God which He is accomplishing in the universe.” (Ecclesiates 11:5)