The Gift of Grandkids
Saturday - October 17th
Scripture to Read Today: Proverbs 17:1-28
Children's children are a
crown to the aged,
and parents are the
pride of their children.
Proverbs 17:6
Here are the responses of a class of 8-year-olds when they were asked: "What is a Grandparent?" From the sounds of things, grandparents are doing a great job of enriching their grandchildren's lives!
Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of their own. They like other people's kids.
Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to stores and give us money.
When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.
They can take their teeth and gums out.
Grandparents don't have to be smart.
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend time with us.
They know we should have a snack time before bedtime, and they say prayers with us and kiss us even when we've acted bad.
Grandpa is the smartest man on earth! He teaches me good things, but I don't get to see him enough to get as smart as him.
As Art Linkletter discovered years ago, kids do "say the darndest things!" Researchers say there are more grandparents alive today than at any other time in world history. Because they are the largest generation, Boomers in the U.S. are currently in the prime age for being grandparents. The United States may have more grandparents now than it will ever have again. The Bible says very little about grandparents and their role in the lives of their grandchildren. But, what it does say speaks volumes to us. It also speaks of how valuable grandparents are to their families and to society as a whole.
One of those references to grandparents is found in Proverbs 17:6: "Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children." Of course, "children's children" are grandchildren. Saying they are a crown to their grandparents speaks of value, honor, and public recognition of that value and honor.
My friend, Larry Fowler, launched a network of ministries and resources for Christian parents a few years ago. His Legacy Coalition recognizes the incredible value of Christian grandparents in the lives of their grandkids. The coalition's stated mission is: "Helping grandparents have a greater spiritual impact on their families." Before the launch of this coalition, Larry researched the kinds of ministries and resources dedicated to equipping Christian grandparents. He was shocked by the lack of both. So, he and others organized efforts to bring attention to the need for resources and to encourage others to create them. The Legacy Coalition determined to provide such help.
If you are a grandparent, one way you can fulfill that role of value and honor in your own family is to avail yourself of the Legacy Coalition resources. CLICK HERE to go to their webpage. If you are a parent of your parents' grandkids, check out what the coalition offers. Maybe your parents are waiting for you to invite them into your kids' spiritual growth and development. Reach out to them and make sure they know they have a green light to pour themselves into the discipleship of your kids. If you are a grandson or granddaughter, email, text, or call your grandparents and let them know how special they are to you and how much they mean to you.
Grandparents can and should have a tremendous influence on the spiritual lives of their grandkids!