An Open Mission Field

"One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts."  (Psalm 145:4)

What are some of your fondest memories? Can you remember sitting on a grandparent's lap as they tell you some stories of how things were when they were growing up? I can easily remember my grandfather, who died when I was quite young, holding me in his lap. He gave me a gift I'll never forget. It was a very special moment between a granddaughter and a grandfather. His voice was kind and gentle – his hands were large and he reminded me of one so strong he could accomplish anything. These special moments with him were short-lived, but profound . . . so profound that now more than 50 years later I can still remember his voice, his smell, his love. He left a strong impact on my life.

These memorable moments with our children and grandchildren often linger in their memories for an entire lifetime. Whether it is from the intimacy of being held close by one they love, or whether it is the soft tone of your voice, or even just the story you tell, it makes a lasting impact on them – something that they may one day pass on to their own children and grandchildren.

Can you imagine if the stories you relate to your children and grandchildren were testimonies of God's grace and power? Can you imagine the impact that details of God's goodness would make on these small, impressionable minds? It is our heritage in the Lord that we should be declaring to our youth, whether we're a parent or a grandparent, or even a great-grandparent.

Our children's minds are an open mission field . . . ready to receive a heritage from the Lord that will stick with them throughout their lifetime – and they will in turn pass it along to their own children.

Be sure to tell your children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren of the mighty acts of God in your lifetime. Invest a small amount of time in their lives which will leave a lasting impact on them . . . one they will never forget or forsake. It will also build your own faith to recount the mighty works of God that He has wrought in your life. Don't neglect this mission field . . . impact the next generation and they will have a foundation on which to build their own faith in our awesome, holy God.

Father, please forgive me for neglecting a mission field found in the minds and memories of our youth. Lord, give me the opportunity to sit down and share with these young, impressionable little ones about Your mercy, Your goodness, Your mighty acts. Father, I do want to make an impression on them that will give them a foundation on which they will be able to build their own faith as they grow. Help me, Lord, to take this assignment seriously and to know that if I don't share with them, it is possible that no one else will. Lord, I want to praise Your works to every generation, for You have done wondrous things in my life and in the lives of my loved ones. Bless Your Holy Name Forever! Amen!

"But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations." (Psalm 102:12)

© 2008 Jan Ross
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