Psalm 78:2-7 (MSG)
“I’ll let you in on the sweet old truths, stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother’s knee. We’re not keeping this to ourselves, we’re passing it along to the next generation— GOD’s fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done. He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly in Israel, then commanded our parents to teach it to their children so the next generation would know, and all the generations to come— Know the truth and tell the stories so their children can trust in God.”
I love this picture Jim took some time ago of Mom’s hand holding mine, mine holding Amy’s and Amy’s holding Mom’s. It’s a visual of how each generation is connected to the next no matter how many years separate them. There’s a unbreakable bond in families.
I was 10 years old when my maternal grandmother died. She was an amazing, godly woman that I look forward to seeing again someday. If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t know Jesus. When she was 16 she went to a tent revival and was saved. She and the other people in Philipsburg, PA who found the Lord during that revival established the First Church of Christ there in 1907. Her zeal for God was contagious to others (including my grandfather) and she had a large impact for the kingdom all of her 73 years on earth. My grandparents were also charter members of the Hempfield Church of Christ in Greensburg where I have worshiped since I was 6 years old.
My grandparents’ faith was passed on to their children. My mom had so many stories of how God was faithful all of her growing up years and how, even though they never had many earthly possessions, they were so rich. And my parents talked and lived out their faith all of my life in such a way that I knew it was real. Even though I’m a child of the 60’s, I never for a moment wondered if God was dead or if his rules on morality were outdated during the sexual revolution. God’s Word was the rock I learned to build my life on and the things my parents taught me are still influencing me today.
I hope that when Amy is my age she will be able to look back on her life and be able to have a similar story. So far, so good! She loves and serves God and her faith is strong. The verses from Psalms at the top of this page are true. If we want each generation to trust in God, we must tell them about how He has been faithful in our lives and what He’s done for us. Teach your children (and grandchildren) so the circle won’t be broken!
Dianne
Gresham Thoughts 