Happy Birthday Luke Anthony Sutherland!

My sister is going to have a baby today. Brothers will become uncles, parents will become grandparents, grandparents will become great-grandparents. Husband and wife become father and mother. And a "fetus" (that word comes with a fist-shake at everyone who would dare call my nephew that) becomes the absolute center of everyone's world. It's been four days since I blogged, but I think this is a decent occasion.

MY SISTER IS HAVING A BABY TODAY!!!

My sister, who in high school dated boys just like anyone else - some of them real jerks, too - and rebelled against my parents' wishes a few times, just like anyone else. Then she went to college, and during college, something amazing happened. Dennis Bullock, one of my best friends and closest Christian brothers, witnessed to a friend of his at work named Matt Sutherland. Matthew Eugene Sutherland. Son of Anthony Eugene "Gene" Sutherland and Sue "sorry I forgot your middle name" Sutherland. Matt came to Christ through Dennis' ministry and came to church as well. At All Saints Reformed Presbyterian Church. 3000 Grove Ave, Richmond, VA. There he met my sister, and the Lord brought them together in holy matrimony on December 18, 1999. I had to fly home in the middle of my freshman year final exams at Grove City College in order to be in the wedding, then fly back to finish exams before driving home. IT was the happiest day of my life. Fast forward five years. Lynna (oh yeah that's my sister - Lynna-Brooke Westcott Sutherland. Daughter of Douglas Anthony "Doug" Westcot and Donna Hildreth Westcott) graduated college and has taught school at Beaverdam Elementary School. As she begins her fourth year of teaching, she and Matt come to us with some wonderfully happy news. She is pregnant! She is going to have a baby! 9 month gestation period, 9 months in the school year - coincidence? Doubtful. Her due date is set as June 15th, one day before I will finish teaching my first year of school. We spend the whole school year watching Lynna and the baby grow, helping them prepare their house for the new kid. Last week, as you are all aware, June 15th came and went. All that day I could barely focus on school - thank the Lord that all I had to do was administer an exam. But nothing happened that day. Nothing happened yesterday on Father's Day. I mean we celebrated Father's Day, but the kid was unsympathetic and refused to make a poetic and memorable arrival. He is clearly interested in doing things his own way and does not stand on ceremony. Good traits, as far as I'm concerned. This morning at 8:26 (four minutes before my alarm, thank you very much) the phone rang. No one reached the phone in time, so now we have recorded for all time on the answering machine my sister's voice saying "Hello! It's Lynna! This is THE CALL!" Her water broke at 6:15 this morning! We are all anticipating the trip to the hospital and the wonderful day that this will be for all of us!

Now THIS is the happiest day of my life.
Happy Birthday Luke Anthony Sutherland.