# 2 Son was married to my lovely new daughter in law this past weekend. It was a joyous and fun affair. My job is now done, I have raised three children and now all three are married and have spouses of their own. In the Biblical sense, they have left and now cleave to one another. Pat myself on the back, I am retired from raising children!
NOT SO FAST! There is a whole new generation following in the footsteps of their moms and dad. Six grands call me Lulu and I strongly suspect more are to come (HINT-HINT!) Though I do not have the primary role of raising these children, hopefully I play an important part in their childhood. We were speaking last night at small group of the people in our lives who spoke affirming words to us -especially in our growing up years. How well I remember one grandmother who never left any doubt about how she felt about me. Though she was my step grandmother, she was my "real grandmother" in every sense. My mother's mother died when she was two and Sweet Ora stepped in to fill her shoes. She was affirming, encouraging, and undeniably proud of me as long as she walked this earth. I NEVER felt like a step--but instead considered her the real thing!
Grandparents play a vital role in determining how we see ourselves. I told the older grands other grandfather a LONG time ago, "It is not a contest of who the grands like best. We ALL need to love them. The more love the better!" In a world filled with hard, grandparents should be the easy! We should speak affirming words, play with abandonment, and gaze upon them with the wonder of knowing they are our legacy.
Here we are the "morning after" all having breakfast together.
I drove home with a renewed sense of the importance of family, and the blessing of the gift of kin, I thanked God for the gift of family. The African Proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." (NO Hilary did not originate it) holds true in every sense. God gave us family for an important purpose. It is our role as kin to love our families with the sure sense that no one knows us better and yet still loves us in spite of knowing us. Truly, as close of a reflection of The Father's Love as mankind is capable is the love of family. NO our jobs are NEVER done while on this terrestrial ball. We are here for a purpose, and one of those purposes is to love the family God has placed us in. Until He calls us to our Eternal Family, we are charged with loving our Earthly Family--using His example of perfect love as our benchmark. Love them with all your heart, strength, and soul.
3 Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
Psalms 127:3-5
What a lovely post. Hope you have a lovely, I'm awaiting class, smiles.😊
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, Lulu, the role of the grandparent can never be underestimated! I have such wonderful memories of mine, though I never got to see them that much. And I feel so blessed that I live close enough to my three grands that I can see them often.
ReplyDeleteHope your day is blessed!