Even before we had our first child, my bride and I have been praying that a Godly heritage would be established in our family. Both of us come from families in which Christ was not preeminent. We both believed in Jesus as our Rescuer and Transformer in our twenties. We’ve prayed early and often for our kids and grandkids that they’d come to faith at an early age and would marry spouses who put God first.
Because we’re traveling uncharted territory from our heritage, a friend calls us pioneers. Having taken plenty of wrong turns as we forged our way, I resonate with this description. We’ve had our struggles as a family, but in spite of us, our kids are establishing lines of their own and families of faith are growing.
Recently, our daughter Elizabeth told us an amazing story concerning Hyatt, our young grandson. Our son in law gave him and our granddaughter a journal and a pen. Hyatt asked his mom to be sure he was up at 7:00 on weekdays and 8:30 on weekends so that he could have a quiet time like Pop. This brought me unfettered joy. I had no idea he’d picked up on my habit of having time with God in the morning.
The next morning, Elizabeth saw Hyatt quietly writing in his journal. Later she read, in beautiful six-year-old script, “Dear God, thank you for being the light switch when we’re being the light.”
I’m amazed at the depth and simplicity of his understanding. Do we as adults complicate things? The innocence of a child seems to allow truth to travel unencumbered to the heart. I can learn so much from kids.
This summer, while at the beach, Hyatt had joined me on the porch and wanted to know what I was reading. I showed him from the Sermon on the Mount how Jesus told us we are the light of the world.[1] I had no idea he’d remember it. Makes me realize how important our actions are when little eyes are watching.
When we spent the night at Ben and Elizabeth’s a few days ago, I asked Hyatt if he wanted to have time with God together the next morning. He agreed enthusiastically.
Since it was the weekend, we slept in a bit and met in the den at 8:30. In our journals, we both wrote a prayer to God and discussed what we said.
Considering our life’s desire to see a Godly heritage take root and grow in our family, few moments have meant more to me than having a quiet time with Hyatt.
Lord, sometimes I feel regret for the wrong turns I’ve made leading our family. We’ve been through the wilderness. But You’re so gracious. The sufficiency of Your love settles me. Thank you. Please continue your work in my family. Some are amid painfully, difficult battles. May Your Powerful Light dispel all darkness. May your Healing Love comfort all pains. I pray for all my brothers and sisters who desire Godly heritages to gain traction and grow in their families. Only you can change hearts. I trust all outcomes to you. I love You.
[1] Matthew 5:14
Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures. Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post once a week. Thank you for reading.
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