Generations of Love

We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done…Psalm 78:4.

Spending the past week in Destin, FL and at the beach with Andrew, Bekah and their three children brought back fond memories!

When my children were younger, we took them to Florida several times to visit my grandparents who lived in Ft. Myers.

During our stay, we would spend several days at the beach!  My grandma would always pack an amazing picnic lunch filled with lots of goodies (she was an amazing cook)!

They were so gracious!  They would spend the entire day with us, watching my children swim in the ocean and play in the sand…enjoying this fun time with us.

More importantly, they just didn’t sit and watch!  My granddad would wade out in the ocean…being tossed with the waves right alongside us!

My grandma would stroll down the beach, collecting shells with my children!  She was a natural…spotting and picking up the best shells!   And of course, she would always give the treasured shells to her grandchildren.

My grandma also gave my daughter, Bekah, a little sun hat to wear while we were there…something she treasured for many years!

And when we were at the beach, my children wore animal pool rings!  So when Hudson and Beau put on their dolphin pool rings at the beach, I immediately stepped back in time…remembering my three children wearing their animal rings as they splashed in the waves when they were younger!

During our stay, my grandparents would take the children to a variety of places, which included seeing alligators, going on a mini-safari, playing miniature golf and of course, getting ice cream and much more!

It was such a blessing to share this time with my grandparents and I know they loved having us visit them during the summers! 

My children would crawl up on their laps and snuggle with them as we watched TV, and I remember my grandparents gazing fondly at my children as they cuddle them on their laps.

These precious memories continued to fill my mind as I watched Andrew and Bekah’s little ones enjoying their time on vacation!

I realized we had come full circle!

Now it was Don and my turn to be grandparents, watching our children and grandchildren experience many of the same memories that we did when our children were younger.

I now understand how my grandparents must have felt!

Not only did they have the pleasure of watching their grandchildren…(my children were actually their great-grandchildren), but they also had the pleasure of watching Don and I make memories with our young family!

That’s exactly what I experienced this past week!  I saw my grandsons…who I absolutely adore and love…smile, laugh, giggle and experience things for the first time!

But in addition, I got see the expressions on their mama and daddy’s faces as they thoroughly enjoyed making memories with their family!

It was a double blessing!

Don and I were blessed to be a part of this time with them and are extremely appreciatiave of that opportunity.

I feel as my heart could burst with the love I have for my children and their children!

I know God desires for us to tell our children…our grandchildren…future generations of his amazing love!

We need to share our stories with them, so they can pass down a rich inheritance to the future generations.

God’s word says… We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done…Psalm 78:4.

I know my children (at least my older two) remember spending time with my grandparents in Florida!  And they can share those stories with their little ones!

But it doesn’t stop there!  Someday, Hudson, Beau and Gabe…Graham and Emmett (who will be heading back to the beach in August)…and the little grandbabies still waiting to be born…will share with their children the time they spent at the beach…sharing wonderful childhood memories with them!

As we shared God’s love with our children when they were younger…our children who now are adults are now sharing God’s love with their children today!

They are reading the bible to their children…speaking truth into their lives throughout the day…teaching them the ways of the Lord!

And prayerfully, their children…our grandchildren…will share God’s amazing love with their children! 

We serve an amazing God and one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is sharing what God has done in our lives and what HE is doing today.  We can share with them the power of prayer and how God hears our prayers…and that God is the same yesterday, today and forever…Hebrews 13:8.

Dear Heavenly Father…thank you for the opportunity to spend time with family!  Thank you for helping us to share our faith with future generations!  How I pray that those generations will have hearts that are open and receptive to hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ!  Oh Lord, we need you more and more each day!!  Fill our homes with your presence and love!