Bless the Lord, oh my soul,
Let all that is within me bless His holy name.
Early spring.
With the crocus
in the front yard
spilling out beneath the old maple tree,
you came forth.
Ruddy.
Full.
Perfect.
New.
Your mother and father
had mothered and fathered you
for nine months plus nine days,
and the waiting became thick
and silent at times
with anticipation and praying.
Longing to hold you, know you, see you,
and call you by name.
In waiting, God brought
joy to your parents,
hope,
peace.
And as your daddy lay down for a Sunday rest
on a warm, sunny February afternoon,
you began your arrival.
Your mother labored for you
wondering if she could do it.
Hoping, trusting, wondering, and strong,
she brought you out
from her womb into the world!
With her hands, she took you
and laid you over her heart,
crying, “David! Your name is David.”
Your father’s eyes brimmed with joy,
and he held you both in his arms.
We all want to make a difference somehow –
to leave our mark,
to bless a life or two, or many.
And you, David,
simply by arriving in your humble baby way,
you have already changed the world.
Bless the Lord, oh my soul,
Let all that is within me bless His holy name.
(Psalm 103, of David)
With love from Aunt Shannon
For my nephew, David Ashbel, born February 28, 2016
Apples of Gold 