Quite frankly, I do not believe in luck in any degree. Once in a while I will say it, but I don't believe it.

This past week my granddaughter went to the hospital on a Tuesday morning to have her first baby.

The day was busy for me. I thought I might have time to stop at the hospital and check on my granddaughter to see how she was doing.

At the front desk I introduced myself and asked where my granddaughter was. They told me the floor and room number.

I went to the elevator and saw a sign that said, "Do not enter if flashing." I'm not quite sure, but I can't remember the last time I did any flashing.

How many 4th floors can a hospital have? I was to go to the fourth floor, and they gave me the room number. So I went there, and when I walked in, I almost dropped over. In the bed was a man who looked like he was 125 years old and had every physical problem in the book.

I found out this hospital has two 4th floors, and, "as luck would have it," I was on the wrong 4th floor.

I had to go down the hallway, turn to my right, then turn to my left and I will find a door that would lead me to where I wanted to go.

I finally got up to the nurse's desk and asked where my granddaughter would be. Right behind me was a hallway, and her room was the seventh one on the left.

I knocked on the door in full preparation that I had the wrong room. I was invited in, and “as luck would have it,” I was at the right place, and there was my granddaughter.

The new father-to-be and his mother were there beside her. I joined them, and we had a very pleasant conversation. I thought I would be there for 10, maybe 15 minutes, and then I would leave and go home.

The nurse came in, and we went out to the waiting room to wait for the good news.

I now know why they call it the "waiting room." All you can do in that room is wait, wait, wait. My waiting was weighing heavy upon my patience.

Over two hours later, we received notification that she had the baby and we could go in and saw the new baby, my great-granddaughter. Of all the babies I've seen, this has to be one of the most beautiful.

We all had the privilege of holding this baby, and I was elated when it was my turn. I now could go home and rub this in The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage's face. I got to hold our great-granddaughter before she did. I certainly will remember this for the rest of my life.

Wallowing in my delight about my new Great-granddaughter I could not help but think of what Solomon said in Proverbs 17:6, “Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.”

Whenever I feel sorry for myself because I’m getting old, and getting old does have a negative side, there is the positive side. If I was not as old as I am, I would never have seen my Great-granddaughter.

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone 1-352-216-3025, e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com, website  www.jamessnyderministries.com.