Proverbs 13:22 states that ” A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.” I think about that verse often as I interact with my granddaughter.
My daughter and four-year-old granddaughter live with my husband and I. After being empty nesters for four years, it was quite an adjustment to have my daughter back home along with her newborn baby. As I reflect on the last four years, despite the lack of privacy, the heightened noise level and home that seems to be in eternal disarray, what I see and appreciate more are the many blessings that I witness daily.
As a millennial, my daughter’s parenting practices are very different from the practices that I, a baby boomer, used to raise her. It is these differences that have created the opportunity for me to build into my granddaughter’s life. Since my granddaughter lives with us, I have more opportunities to teach her things and values I deem important. We take regular trips to the library, spend time at the park and read together. Best of all, I get to teach her my Christian faith. I take her to Sunday school which she refers to as ‘Sunday church’. I get to provide teachable moments, showing her how to use her faith during the times she experiences fear, disappointments and hurt.
I believe if we want our life to count for something, we need make a lasting investment in the lives of others. As grandparents, we have a duty to leave a legacy for our grandchildren. This can be done in many ways. For me, as my granddaughter gets older and her faith grows, my prayer is that she remembers her Moo-Moo was the one who introduced her to God and taught her how to navigate life using her faith.
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ~ Deuteronomy 6:6-7
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