Monday, May 19, 2014

Having spiritual grandchildren (Psalm 128:6)

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 128:6 (TM) – larger reading Psalm 128
And enjoy your grandchildren. Peace to Israel!

STORY:
An 8-year-old wrote, "A grandmother is a lady who has no children of her own, so she likes other people's boys and girls. Grandmas don't have anything to do except be there. If they take us for walks, they slow down past pretty leaves and caterpillars. They never say 'Hurry up.' Usually they are fat but not too fat to tie shoes. They wear glasses, and sometimes they can take their teeth out. They can answer questions like why dogs hate cats and why God isn't married. They don't talk like visitors do which is hard to understand. When they read to us, they don't skip words or mind if it is the same story again. Everybody should try to have a grandma, especially if you don't have television, because grandmas are the only grownups who always have time.

OBSERVATION:
Being a grandparent is a special blessing. I praise God every day for the three beautiful and bright and energetic and loving and caring and happy grandchildren that grace my life. But that is not the kind of grandchildren the Psalmist refers to.

The “grandchildren” the Psalmists speaks of are the offspring of those who we have had the high and holy privilege to bring closer to God. Those men and women who have decided to embrace God’s reality for their life. These are individuals who have entered into a meaningful and grace filled life with God. We are talking about those individuals who we have nursed in the faith and celebrated their union with the Almighty God.

It is always humbling to hear from those “boys and girls” now men and women who have been influenced by something that we might have said or might done over the years. I use the word “might” because we often receive credit for something that we had very little to do with. Often we are not made aware of who they are or the impact that we have had on their life.

Seating across the table from a fellow clergy at breakfast one Monday morning he shared a conversation he had with a young woman. It was after a recent funeral he held for a member of his congregation. A young relative of the family asked him if he knew of a particular minister in Florida. He said he did indeed and then she went on and on and on as to how this particular clergyperson had impacted and influenced her life. His tagline was: “She thought this pastor had hung the moon.” We then discussed the unseen influence we have had over the lives of others. But shouldn’t we all have that kind of influence? The Psalmist wasn’t talking about just clergy, but rather of each believer. There should be a large wake of “children”, “grandchildren”, and “great-grandchildren” left in our spiritual wake. At least that is the hope of God in calling us into a relationship with himself.  

Little do we really appreciate what influence we have on lives as we live out our faith. These young people or young adults are our spiritual grandchildren. Though we might not know their names, my colleague could not recall the young woman’s name, but the impact we have had on their lives is immeasurable.

I thank God every day for the miracle he is performed in my life as I marvel at what He has accomplished with what He had to work with!

Take time to be holy,

Speak oft with thy Lord;

Abide in Him always,
And feed on His word.

Make friends of God's children;

Help those who are weak;

Forgetting in nothing

His blessing to seek.

PRAYER:

May we each be worthy of the praise placed upon us. Humbled by the honor. Motivated to produce all the more offspring. May we be highly producing holy people.

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