Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever! Praise be His most Holy and Honorable Name. Praise Him who was, is, and is to come – the past, present, and future.
Thank You, God, for all thy benefits. Thank You for moments of experiencing Your Kingdom here and now. Thank You for the seasons of life. Thank You for lessons of the past, being present in the present, and trusting and hoping in the future.
We are so sorry, God, for the times we disorder this life – for the times we live in the past instead of the present, for the times we worry about the future. We are sorry, God, for our lack of trust and faith.
Recently, I was asked by my most wonderful daughter-in-love what holding a grandbaby was like. I had been able to hold my second grandchild and I can only imagine the look on my face that prompted that question. I had just witnessed that look on the child’s other grandmother, but words just failed me. I told my daughter-in-love that I would have to ask God for the words. Her mother, however, voiced immediately: “Generational.”
The next day during my prayer time, I asked God for some words. Now, these could probably be applied to anyone at any time, but when you hold a baby, I think they are more profound and real. The words were “bittersweet fulfillment of generations.” It is like holding the past, present, and future when you hold a grandbaby, and they hit you all at once. I am flooded with memories from my own child, including mistakes and trials, joys and victories, but mostly special moments. These are bittersweet because I was not capable of grasping and cherishing the “last time” I held them in such a way. You see your grandchild for who they are, though, unique, created for a purpose, all their own – knowing the gift of life and faith will be lived out beyond this moment. You pray for their future, trusting that your child and his or her spouse has been prepared by God, who gave them this life. Generations become so real. Traditions have a new significance, and you are constantly praying those traditions reflect God’s life and love, and truly remind us of our bond as family. I want to cry and laugh all at once. I feel so blessed and look forward to sharing our heavenly home with my very own grandparents.
My daughter- in – love shared that she imagines it is like having a moment of “zooming out.” In her season of life now, her focus is that of wife and mother, and her field of vision feels very localized. She feels there is an expansion of “vision” that she has not unlocked yet, but imagines that it unlocks when you can see your grandchildren and more fully understand the significance of generations. I can attest to this! As a young wife and mother, my vision had to be focused on the day to day home life. How blessed my daughter – in – love is to even be able to ponder what is beyond her current season!
I also asked my prayer partner how she felt when she held her grandchild. For her, it was the sensation of her heart expanding to take in new love and innocence. The awesomeness of God as the creator of each one of us for “such a time as this.” The wonder of what this child will bring to the world and a reminder of the responsibility I had to contribute to that. She also wondered what legacy she would leave behind. This is another great pondering!
I love how my prayer partner honed in on what grandparents leave behind. For so many of us, I know we pray that we will leave behind a model of faith and love. I know my grandmothers, in particular, modeled them for me, and I pray that one day someone will say of me what Timothy said, “ I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother…”
If you are a grandparent, I want to know what it feels like to hold your grandchild? If you have a grandparent, I want to know what it feels like when you spend time with him or her? What do words, like generation and legacy, mean to you? How does all this encourage you in your faith? How is God working in, through, and with you and your family? Share, share, share! You never know who will be blessed by it!
