# 232 04/05/04 Did I pass along my heritage last week?

I was blessed to have my grandsons for the week of Spring Break. It was a great time for all of us. We went to several parks. We worked in the flowerbeds. We played tetherball. We turned over rocks and stepping-stones in search of living creatures. We read books. We played good guys versus bad guys with the action figures that are in PaPa’s toy box. We even took in a farm sale and sat on the ground with PaPa to eat our hotdogs. In general, we did everything we could think of to be sure that I was totally exhausted by bedtime!

Now the toys are back in the toy box. The books are on the shelves. The child-sized dishes are pushed to the back of the cabinets. The big jugs of milk are gone. And, all the creatures that we found under the rocks have gone home with the boys!

It is time to reflect on the week. Did this week mean more than bugs and action figures? Did I stand up to the challenge that I so often advocate - that of passing on my heritage to the next generation?

Grandparents have unique opportunities. My children are proactive in teaching their faith to my grandchildren. That means that I have opportunities to reinforce what they are teaching. Hearing the same lesson told differently by a grandparent makes a lasting impression on a child. Years ago, as we watched a drought destroy my granddaddy’s cotton, my grandmother talked to me about his trusting for God’s provision. I remember that I was struck by the similarity of that experience to one that my dad had told me about his trusting God. My thought was, “Wow, this must really be true if Dad and Granddaddy both think it’s so!”

For grandparents whose children are not teaching the faith, it becomes even more important. Seeds that are planted by grandparents may wait many years to germinate, but they will bear fruit in time. Adults often tell me of spiritual lessons that they learned from grandparents. Many of those lessons laid the foundation for a faith that they later embraced as adults. Do not become discouraged if you do not see immediate results.

Did I meet the challenge? Yes, I did find moments to teach my faith. Could I have done more? Certainly. And, I thank God for future weeks and more opportunities that I will have to teach them about believing Him.