Welcome To Earth Jack Barrett Hopper

God handed Jack Barrett Hopper to us on July 19, 2023 at 6:06 PM weighing in at 6 lbs. 12 oz and 19 inches long.  God left him Texas.  He was two weeks and four days old before I heard the good news. My brother told me.  He was gracious enough to send me a picture that my sister-in-law received through Facebook.  I don’t do Facebook.  Jack is my grandson and no one told me about the future Hopper boy.

What my son did not know was that God revealed to me through the Holy Spirit that Jack arrived on earth and that all was well.  Jack was an answer to my prayer that my son and his wife have a baby, especially a boy where the Hopper name would continue through yours truly.

I know that was a selfish prayer, but I felt as though the Lord was going to give me a Hopper grandson even though I may see him by picture or video.  I had faith but there had been some doubts for several years.  My younger brothers have Hopper grandsons.  I am a happy “Poppy” to a fifteen- year-old grandson, JonGrady, which belongs to my daughter.  He, ironically, is a Chapman, which was my mama’s maiden name.  My son-in-law had two sons from a precious marriage giving me three grandsons and I have two grandsons through my marriage to Lisa.  I am proud of my six grandsons and two granddaughters.  Jack Barrett will continue the Hopper name.

Jack Barrett’s dad and I have a broken relationship.  I have tried to mend it, something that only God can do, because I am a pastor and he is a Christian and we should do all we can to reconcile.  I pray, as my son become a dad, he will learn each day how much a dad loves his children, especially a son.  I know that when I had my first-born, a son, I learned to love dad even more.  Suddenly my hardheaded dad was intelligent.  The older I got; the smarter dad became.  My eldest is forty-six and I continue to learn how much daddy loved me and how God, my heavenly Father loves me because of my sons and daughter,. 

I love Jack Barrett’s dad and remember how as a little boy he would lay his head on my heart and listen to it beat.  I wish he could hear how much it hurts because the love we had for so many years lies buried deep in pride, falsehoods, and resentment.  Learning “through the grapevine” about my grandson’s birth hurt so badly that I was overwhelmed.  One more time in life’s journey that my heart felt ripped out, stomped, and tossed into hell.  All I knew to do was to take my old GMC pickup for a drive.  It was and continues to be a place of peace and meditation.

The old truck was the cradle that rocked Jack Barrett’s dad to sleep.  His dad was three years old before he slept all night.  I would come home from working midnights and his mom would say take him out of the house where I can get some sleep.  I would ride with him in the old GMC that we named “Gimmy” for hundreds of miles through the years.  He loved that old truck and helped me restore it before moving to Texas.  He hurt my heart when he sent me his set of keys from Gimmy that he had from a teenager to Alabama by his brother-in-law.  My heart died a little more.  At my passing, Gimmy will be Aaron’s.

With a heavy hurting heart, I took Jack Barrett’s dad on an imaginary ride.  I rode to the Union Springs cemetery to visit my mom and dad’s grave and do some ruminating.  I remembered how proud dad was when my eldest son was born was.  I never forget the way he caressed that first Hopper grandson.  Dad died before Jack Barrett’s dad was born, but he was as much like dad as he could be.  I nicknamed him “Little M” in honor of dad, JM.

I stood beside Grandpa and grandmoe Chapman graves and remembered my relationship with them. 

Then I rode to Shelby Memorial Garden to visit my in-laws’ graves.  Jack’s Barrett’s dad was the first grandson for the Moxley’s.  I remember Mr. Moxley holding that first-born grandson.  My heart was exploding with hurt thinking of dad and Mr. Moxley held their firstborn.  I remembered holding JonGrady and Max my grandson through Lisa.  I pined.  Would I ever get to hold infant Jack Barrett? 

I left there and rode down to the Tabernacle Methodist Church where Grandpa and Grannie Hopper graves are.  I never knew Grandpa Hopper.  He committed suicide when dad was eleven years old.  Then I walked over to Great-grandpa and great-grandma Hopper graves.  Jack Barrett was on my mine.   I do not know or understand what God’s plan is, but I know God is in control and things will be better.

From the time of my son’s birth, I prepared him as best I could to be a loving dad, a Christian husband, and dedicated employee.  People through the years folks tell me what a mature, generous, and polite man he is.  He is a gentle giant.  People commented that he was too young to have the wisdom he demonstrated.  He is a hard-working young man.  One of the heartaches I have is our broken relationship.  Best I can tell is that he thinks I lied to him about the trouble and divorce from his mom.  He said my story does not add up.  I reminded him that things are not as they seem and do not believe everything you hear and half of what you see.  I told him the truth, but most people do not want to know the truth.  It is not “juicy” enough.  He claimed I changed my story each time I told it.  I said each time I told it I was more specific.  I told him a lie is the same each time because you rehearse it.  He said I would tell the truth on my deathbed.  I go on record, Aaron, I told you the truth. I will not but if we discussed it again, I would be more descriptive and detailed than last time.  It happened, it is past, I cannot change the truth.  I live the fiasco daily wondering way.

Even if there is reconciliation, my relationship with Jack Barrett and his future siblings will be long distance, a Texas to Alabama vastness physically.  If no reconciliation, it will be an aloofness spiritually and a detachment mentally.  Like I told Aaron in a poem, he is always close to me.  He is in my heart.  Jack Barrett, “Listen to your dad’s heart.  It will be special to him during times of separation and disagreement.”

Welcome to earth Jack Barrett Hopper.  God has a great journey for you.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:11-13