Generation to Generation

     Almost twenty six years ago, a big yellow chicken appeared at the door of my home with a dozen pink and blue balloons! I sent him to my house to sing to my husband and tell him he is going to be a daddy! Sixteen months later, I found out I was pregnant again. He was in the woods, camping out during deer season, so I bought a stuffed, yellow chicken and took it to him. Well, he didn’t get the connection and I had to end up explaining it. We talked about this story on our way home from church Friday night. Dwayne was teasing me on the purpose of a yellow chicken. I explained that I didn’t send a yellow chicken, I sent a singing telegram that happened to be a chicken! He teased me all the way home. That conversation happened around 7:00 p.m. and two hours later, I had a big yellow chicken walk through my door. Immediately, I thought Dwayne was continuing his bantering with me over why I sent him a yellow chicken! However, I noticed pretty quickly Dwayne wasn't teasing me, so the yellow chicken could only mean one thing. The chicken was Bryce, and he was telling me HE is going to be a daddy! I am going to become a grandma!

     I know some of you are sitting back right now wondering how I am going to tie a scriptural lesson to a big yellow chicken. I have to admit, that is quite a stretch but all I can come up with for the chicken, is that sometimes God blesses us through the most unusual things! However, that is not my lesson for today! Becoming a grandparent has been a very humbling event. One that has left me in a very meditative state! I always knew this day would come but now that it has, my reaction surprises me! I anticipated pure excitement and craziness but in reality, I feel this deep, sober, sense of heritage. To watch as my son takes all he has learned from his raising and to pass it forward to a family of his own, leaves me speechless. All the hair pulling days of the teenage years are now worth it for this moment in time. There are many things I am looking forward to with my children, grandchildren, daughter-in law, husband, and special friend who will be the other grandmother. However, there are two main things I eagerly await. One is to see the face of my son when he experiences for the first time, the overwhelming love of a father. How at that moment, you understand unconditional love in its truest form. You now understand what your parents meant when they said they loved you more than you could possibly know! Also, you get a glimpse of how much your Heavenly Father loves you! It is an amazing moment when life changes forever! The second thing I am looking forward to is to teach my grandchildren about how God has blessed our family. I want to pass on to them their spiritual heritage. I know my grandparents laid the foundation for my love of Jesus and I am very thankful for the heritage they passed on to me.
The easiest way I see God, is in His role as a parent. As my Father, He loves us and wants the best for us. I am sure it brings Him joy as He watches us rejoice over His blessings. He must take delight in watching our faces! As our Heavenly Father, He wants us to pass on our spiritual heritage to the generations after us. All through scripture, and especially in the Old Testament, He tells us not to forget; to write it down and teach our children and our grandchildren the ways of God. For many years the Jewish people passed down the workings of God orally to their children. We have the benefit of having Scripture written, memorizing the entire Bible would have been a feat for me! However, we still need to teach our children and our grandchildren. They need to hear it from us. I still have memories of hearing my grandfather tell me stories; they are wonderful memories planted deep in my heart. Some people in our lives may not be our physical parents or grandparents, yet they play the role of a spiritual mentor in lives. They too pass on the goodness of the Lord to those who have no one to teach them.
     What role are you playing in your season of life? Are you the parent or the child? Are you the grandchild or the grandparent? Be thankful for those who laid your spiritual foundation, whether they were a parent, grandparent, or someone who played that role in your life. If you are older, think about who you are laying a foundation for? Who are you teaching about the ways of God and His many blessings? Teaching our children and our grandchildren is the only way that we will glorify His name from generation to generation!

Just make sure you stay alert. Keep close watch over yourselves. Don’t forget anything of what you’ve seen. Don’t let your heart wander off. Stay vigilant as long as you live. Teach what you’ve seen and heard to your children and grandchildren.

Deuteronomy 4:9