Do you ever wish that you could be more noticed… that when you walk into a room people know who you are and immediately engage with you? If the truth were known, most of us likely have secret fantasies about standing out in the crowd and automatically getting attention. Sometimes we vicariously seek that notice through our kids and grandkids.

I know a couple (I’ll call them Herb and Janet) that have given particular attention to one granddaughter (I’ll call her Jessie) because she is beautiful and very gifted. They have gone to great lengths, including expensive gifts and effusive pampering, to set her apart from most girls by influencing her towards their goal for her, including the college she will attend. Of course, it is all being done in her best interest.  

While they may truly desire the best for her, I have to wonder whether it is God’s best or their best they are pursuing. I only hope Jessie has the wisdom to see what is going on and pursue God’s plan for her life… not theirs.

Whether parents or grandparents, we want what is best for our children and grandchildren. Knowing that God already has the best possible plan prepared for our grandchildren, CGN actively promotes the practice of spoken blessing in our families. The three core ingredients of the spoken blessing are…

1. Affirming a high value because of who they are, not what they do;
2. Picturing a special future the GOD has already prepared for them; and
3. Declaring an active commitment that communicates our belief in them and promise to journey with them.

The spoken blessing affirms God’s agenda for their lives—not ours. It can become a powerful tool to help our grandkids stand out in life, not through fame or fortune, but through character and living according to God’s plan. So, let me restate these three marks of blessing like this:

1. Help your grandkids understand who they are and who they are NOT: This requires careful patience and selfless love to help them understand that their value is rooted in their being made in the image of God, not how they meet your expectations. Your life journey can also serve as a powerful example to them of this truth. Don’t expect them to be someone else—someone you want to make in your image. They are not you or anyone else. God uniquely made each who they are for His glory, not yours.
2. Instill in your grandchildren a confident belief in God’s purpose for their life that is both sufficient and fully satisfying: Since they are made in God’s image, His purpose for them is perfect and always best. His divine power will fully equip them with everything they need to fulfill that purpose. Your part is to help them develop a wholehearted desire to follow Christ and to know the ultimate delight and satisfactions that comes from serving Him in that purpose.
3. Communicate by words and actions that you are on their side and equally confident that God’s plan is always best: Let them know you are praying for God’s best, and that you will never be deterred from your belief in them to succeed in what God has for them. They need to know you will be standing with them in whatever way possible, and that even when they stumble, you will be there to help them get back up and finish together.

GRANDPAUSE: Faith sees the invisible, believes the unbelievable, and receives the impossible. -Corrie ten Boom