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Young children have such a unique way of seeing things and it’s so delightful. They are honest and transparent. They haven’t learned to hide what they are thinking.

Recently, my grandchildren suffered the loss of their old dog. This has evoked strong curiosity and a veritable onslaught of questions and statements about God and heaven.

Our grandson starts with saying “I miss Benny” and follows up with either a statement or a question. This past Wednesday he said “You know Nanny, when you are in heaven you have to stay in the white bits, not the blue bits”. This peaked my curiosity, because I could not understand what he meant. On questioning he pointed to the sky and said “If you go in the blue bits you will fall through” – meaning if you venture out of the clouds into the blue sky, you will plummet to earth. Well, wasn’t that just precious! I said “Is that so?” Apparently, he learned this important fact from a cartoon.

Another comment I am hearing over and over is “God lives in me Nanny”, followed by a glorious smile. I always respond with “Yes, he does.” This warms my heart and gives me such unimaginable joy.

It is a great blessing to be a grandparent and it is also a great responsibility. The Bible states clearly that we are to take our obligation seriously:

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Deuteronomy 4:9 [NIV]

Often, we are unaware of the great influence we have over our children and grandchildren’s lives. It is wise to consider the foundations we are laying for this generation, and the next. As well as how that will affect the thousand generations that follow.

Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

Deuteronomy 7:9 [NKJV]

I love this quote, but, perhaps add grandparented to this:

One hundred years from now, it won’t matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in the bank, nor what my clothes looked like,
BUT,
The world may be a little better because, I was important in the life of a child.

Forest Witcraft

We have the privilege and honour of leading our children and grandchildren to Jesus and I believe this is our sacred duty. Sylvia Schroeder writes that the geneologies in the bible attest to the faithfulness of parents and grandparents sharing the testimony of Jesus with their family and friends. I love the beautiful picture painted by the following verse about a grandmother’s strong faith being passed down through the generations:

That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.

2 Timothy 1:5 (MSG)

But how do we do this? Firstly, we need to demonstrate the love, joy, goodness, truth, peace and mercy of God in all our interactions with them and the world. When we are living a good Christian life with Jesus at the centre, our words and even more so our actions, carry a spirit of authenticity and truth.

We need to spend time with our children and grandchildren. We need to know them and help them through any troubles they are encountering. We listen, we play, we read to them. We take them to parks and play games with them. We are fun. We answer their questions. We introduce them to Jesus. We look for the treasures Father God placed inside of them and we declare this over them. We tell them that God loves them, and we do too. It is not a burden; it is a joy.

Some of us may not have children or grandchildren, however this needn’t stop us blessing the next generation. Our lovely Pastor, Crystal Midson spoke about this during our Mother’s Day service a couple of years ago. Recognising we have many families in our church without grandparents, or without them nearby, she suggested that mature women and men in our church consider becoming involved in those families as grandparent figures. This arrangement would benefit both the family and the mature adult.

Another idea is to become involved in children’s, youth, women’s and men’s ministries to bless the next generation. Really the possibilities are endless.

When I consider Moses did not commence his ministry until he was 80 years old it gives me great hope. You are never too old to co-labour with Jesus and benefit those around you.

What spiritual inheritance are we going to leave our families? What will our legacy be to our community and 1000 generations?

I hope this blog blesses you. If you would like to comment or subscribe, please complete the section below. God bless you and your family.

• References:
• Sylvia Schroeder, Bible Study Tools, What Does the Bible Say about Grandparents and How They Are Blessings? – Topical Studies (biblestudytools.com)
• Bible Gateway, https://www.biblegateway.com