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I’ve lost count of how often Pastor Sid has urged us to leave a spiritual legacy for our children and grandchildren.
His messages make me want to holler from my back-row seat, “Amen! Everybody needs to write a memoir!”
Last Sunday, Pastor Sid reminded us of Deuteronomy 6:4-9:
“… Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
In other words,
God gives parents a responsibility:
to teach children,
to encourage them,
to inspire them—
constantly,
thoroughly,
conscientiously,
night and day—
to love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength.
God gives grandparents such roles, too—see Deuteronomy 4:9, Deuteronomy 6:1-2, Exodus 10:1, and Proverbs 13:22.
In Psalm 127:4, Solomon said children are “Like arrows in the hands of a warrior.”
Pastor Sid challenged us: “Put feathers on those arrows!” That takes time.
It also takes time to sharpen arrows, and it takes skill to aim them so they hit the target.
When built well and aimed correctly, arrows fly straight.
You and I have a responsibility to invest in “arrow-making”—to equip and nurture our children and grandchildren so they fly straight and arrive at the right place.
One way is by talking with kids and grandkids—telling them your God-stories, “wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night” (Deuteronomy 6:7, The Message). In doing that, you’ll leave a spiritual legacy for your children and grandchildren.
But let’s be realistic: Of the stories your parents and grandparents told you, how many do you remember?
I have forgotten 95% of my family’s stories. How about you?
You know where I’m going with this:
Another way to “make arrows” is by writing what you’ve seen God do in and for you and your family—writing it and placing it in the hands of your kids and grandkids.
Preserving your God-stories in writing means even generations not yet born can read your book long after you’re gone.
In doing so, you’ll leave a spiritual legacy for your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren—who knows how many generations?
When building strong kids and grandkids, or anything else important, often obstacles pull us off track.
In writing your spiritual memoir—as a ministry, not a hobby—what obstacles lure you away? Lots of things could entice you to say, "I don't have time to write today. Maybe tomorrow."
And before you know it, you're turning the calendar page to a new month.
Sound familiar?
Pastor Sid reminded us that sometimes we must refocus or reprioritize the way we spend our time.
Think about it. Pray for wisdom to refocus or reprioritize your time so you can keep on task.
Do you have helpful tips for scheduling your time?
Keeping focused?
Staying on task?
Remaining enthusiastic about writing your stories?
Please share them! Let’s help each other leave spiritual legacies for future generations!
Leave a comment below or on Facebook, or e-mail me at GrandmaLetters [at] aol [dot] com. (Replace [at] with @ and replace [dot] with a period, and scrunch everything together with no spaces.)
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