Late-in-life parents count their blessings, beginning with their son

Posted: 7/12/07

Late-in-life parents count their
blessings, beginning with their son

By Rebekah Hardage

Communications Intern

GARLAND—Greg and Lisa Ammons couldn’t believe it. After being told 18 years earlier that they were infertile, they learned they finally were going to have a baby.

The couple grew up in Boswell, Okla., and the childhood sweethearts married in 1985. Ammons, now pastor of First Baptist Church in Garland, was in seminary at that time, and it seemed like a good idea to wait before expanding their family.

When they were finally ready to have children, they had difficulty getting pregnant. After finally finding out children weren’t likely in their future, the couple looked into their options. They considered adoption and fertility treatments, even in-vitro fertilization.

“It just wasn’t for us,” Ammons said. The couple decided to place the matter in God’s hands and trust his plan.

Camden Isaac was born on July 4, 2003. Camden means “freedom” in Old English, in tribute to his birth on the 4th of July. Isaac was drawn from the Old Testament story about how God blessed Abraham and Sara with a child later in life.

Through Camden’s birth and early years, his father felt the urge to share his story and the lessons he was learning.

“For 43 years, I had only known love as a son. Now, I know love as a father, and it made me see my relationship with God in a different way,” he said.

Ammons began to write what he was feeling. “I saw so many pictures of my relationship with God in my relationship with my son.” He decided to share what he had learned with others to let them get a better glimpse at God’s love for them.

The recently released book, Now My Eye Sees You: What My Doctorate Didn’t Teach Me About God, My Son Did, offers a glimpse into the lessons learned by a 43-year-old first-time father. Ammons hopes that the book will offer readers a new perspective on the depth of the love God has for them.

Learning first-hand about a father’s for his child, Ammons said he understands better the love God has for his children. God wants to provide for all of our needs and protect us, sometimes even from ourselves, he said.

Occasional disappointment and frustration with Camden are just like what God feels when his children purposefully disobey him, Ammons said. Ammons noted he sometimes gives Camden instruction to which he responds, “I don’t want to, but I will.”

Ammons’ works to balance his time at the church with time spent with his son. He had a good relationship with his father, and hopes to be able to imitate that relationship with Camden.

“Whether it is reading him a Bible story, teaching him children's songs or any other activity, we want him to know how loved and special he is to both of us and to God,” Ammons said.

The main lesson Ammons has learned about being a father is love.

“I love my son so much and would do anything to meet his needs and take care of him,” he said. “To know that God loves and cares for me even more than I love and care for my son simply astounds me.”