Christian Grandparenting Blog

It’s pretty common in the northwest for people to come from a non-spiritual background. I had a spiritual background growing up, until my dad passed away suddenly at age 47. Tragedy has a way of driving people either to God or away from God. For my family, most of them were driven away. For me, I sought comfort in an unchanging God who promised to work out everything for His good. That conviction became very real to me when I discovered in high school that not only is God in control of everything and never changes, but also that He wants a personal relationship with me.

The tsunami of destruction caused by pornography is here. According to Barna Research 6 out of 10 of the men walking into a church on Sunday morning have looked at pornography in the last day, week, or month. The men are of all ages including grandfathers.

This is the time of year when “harvest” is an important word, whether we live on a farm or in the city. Everyone enjoys the fresh fruits and vegetables that show up in farmer’s markets or in the produce aisle of the grocery store. Yum! But have you given thought to what stage the harvest of your spiritual life is in? Once a person chooses to become a follower (disciple) of Jesus Christ, a new life begins.

Are you, like many grandparents, caught in the middle? Being pulled in two directions? Even though we have learned to trust God’s provision, sometimes we still want more. More opportunities. More responsibilities. And, yes, more stuff. Other days, we want less. Fewer distractions. Fewer responsibilities. Less stuff to take care of and worry about. Maybe we’re experiencing a personal tug of war because we’ve done so much, but still feel we have much to do.

Harvest has always been an important time of year when hard work bears fruit of the labors. It is symbolic of bounty, health, and abundance. Throughout the Bible, harvest carries spiritual significance. It is the result of God’s work in the heart of man. It is his provisions and blessing for us.

Prayer provides a natural avenue for us to share our spiritual inheritance. It offers us a platform from which we can communicate the love we have for our family and God. It affords us the opportunity to confirm our Lord’s abiding presence and steadfast love, and opens the door for us to teach our grandchildren about how to trust and depend upon Jesus.

Do you recall when you first began to feel that your parents didn’t fully understand you? Perhaps that moment happened so long ago that it's fuzzy.  This feeling is what social scientists refer to as generational distance. Experiencing generational distance is fairly normal, although it tends to manifest differently throughout the ages.

You may live close. You may live far. You may have lots of time with your grandkids or a few precious hours. But I’m guessing that whenever you’re with your grandchildren, you take every chance to share your wisdom and experience. The familiar term “teachable moment” comes to mind. Perhaps more important than teachable moments are “prayable moments.” Taking advantage of prayable moments allows you to model how to pray, confirms the power of prayer, and opens the hearts of your grandkids about the needs of others.