Christian Grandparenting Blog

It’s easy to believe that God is taking care of us when life is heading in the direction we want it to go. It is not so easy when life throws its inevitable challenges our way. The Apostle Paul knew that during the most difficult times in our lives, the only thing to do is trust the Lord for his provision. Be honest. How strong is your resolve to trust the Lord in all circumstances? Would you willingly forego the comforts of your hard-earned retirement years to stand toe-to-toe with a drug addicted adult child, or take on the responsibility of raising a grandchild whose parents prove incapable of rising to the task? Would you find your faith in God wavering, or would you joyfully praise the Lord for the hard times you are enduring?

We all have needs, the most basic of which are food, water, shelter, and clothing. Our bodies demand sleep and air, but our requirements go beyond these primal substances.  God created us with other necessities in order to thrive, not just survive.  Without water and food, we waste away; but without our longings met, we spiral into addiction, depression, or a sense of hollowness. Without connection and purpose, our existence appears meaningless.  Grandparents, we have a high calling to help our grandchildren feel loved and accepted, both by us and by God. When these needs are met, they are less likely to fall prey to online dangers or follow a peer leading them astray.

How Can I Know If I Am a Good Christian? Since each of us may have different images or expectations around this question, we must first define the terms. According to dictionary.com, “good” means morally excellent, virtuous, righteous, pious; “Christian” is a person who believes in Jesus Christ with a life exemplified by His teachings. Thankfully, I can attest to my belief in Jesus Christ as Savior, but I’m unsure as to whether my daily life matches the four adjectives in that definition. Would regular Bible reading, tithing, praying, sharing the Gospel, visiting the ill, or supporting missionaries meet the requirements of being good? Read what God tells us.

I cherish the memory of holding my oldest grandchild for the first time. Gazing into his sweet face twenty years ago, I vowed to be the best grandmother I could be.  After months of faithfully buying diapers on sale and delightfully babysitting, I wondered if I should do something more for this precious little boy.   Most grandparents long to be good.  But if you study Scripture, you will see God has a deeper vision than   being “good”. Over the twenty years, my grandmother’s role has evolved as nine more grandchildren have filled my life.  In His graciousness, the Lord faithfully led me on a progressive journey of incrementally becoming the grandparent He designed.

Goodness, the sixth characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV), is defined biblically as naturally doing good actions or a zealous activity to do good for another person’s benefit. As Christians we are called to live in a way that reflects the character of Christ and by actively doing good for others we show his love for them. When we strive to do good for our own benefit, it is not truly goodness that we possess. We are incapable of being or doing good on our own. It is the indwelling of the fruit of the Spirit that manifests itself from within our heart that the characteristic of goodness grows.

It was a typically busy day at my house. I had spent the morning playing with my grandchildren so my daughter could take her youngest for an allergy test.1 I’d made lunch for my schoolteacher husband who was home for the summer. I’d done the dishes. I was in my home office working on Sweet Selah Ministries tasks, quite happily focused on my writing. “Finally,’ I thought. ‘Now I can get down to work.” My husband popped his head in the door. “Want to go for a walk?” At that moment I wanted to finish my work. However, I knew that, long-term, going for a walk with my honey would be the greater blessing for both of us.

Who is the grandparent with whom you are most familiar? Just look in the mirror and you will see him or her! When we think of being kind, it is seldom to that grandparent. It is so much easier to show kindness to others. We may even think that being kind to ourselves is selfish and unbiblical. 

Growing up, I was always physically smaller than most kids my age. That meant I was “easy pickins” for bullies. It’s fascinating that in Junior High the leader of the “gang" who  bullied me most was actually shorter than me. But he was physically tough with a dominating personality. I was small, skinny, and rather shy – the perfect target. The kind of bullying I described here still happens, and it is a traumatic experience for any child. However, bullying today has evolved into something more sinister. Today’s bullying is more than a personal, physical encounter like I experienced in school. Social media has elevated bullying to a pervasive level of intimidation and shaming unlike anything previously known. Your grandkids might be victims of this kind of bullying. Knowing this, what can a grandparent do if their grandchild is being bullied?