Grandparenting. . .The Best Years Of Your Life

“Scripture says, grandparents are called to a greater level of influence. ‘Teach them to your children and to their children after them.'” Deuteronomy 4:9. ~ Legacy Coalition

Grandparenting is a gift and a calling from God. Godly grandmothers and grandfathers can have a strong spiritual impact on their families.

I feel overwhelmed with gratitude that my husband and I are now grandparents. We’re excited that for the first time ever, we will be celebrating Grandparents Day this September 11th.

This summer we welcomed our precious granddaughter, Emersyn Eden into this world. Emersyn has brought more joy to us than we could have ever imagined. She is beautiful in every way, and she fills our hearts up with praise to the Lord Almighty. She is a cherished gift from Him.

Emersyn has not only brought us great delight, she has also given me, personally, inspiration for my life. Through her arrival, God is showing me that I still have work to do here on earth. Let me explain…

When we became empty nesters many years ago, I struggled with my purpose in life now that the children were all gone.

I had always been a stay at home mom, and had poured into my role of being a mother to our three precious children. I loved being able to teach them about Jesus and to have a godly influence in their lives. After they all left our home to go live their lives independently (as they ought to), I had a hard time finding value. I worked, I joined Bible studies, started hobbies, but these didn’t really give me meaning to my life.

During this season, the Lord began to bring me women that were either new in their faith or struggling with it, and I would disciple them. I absolutely loved these relationships and the permission I was allowed to speak into their hearts. This was when I discovered that influence always comes through relationships. I not only enjoyed mentoring these women to help them draw into a deeper intimacy with the Lord, but doing so gave me a sense of purpose.

Until recently, I have never pondered upon the powerful role Christian grandparenting holds.

I listened to a few podcasts by Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk on Grandparenting: Using Your Best Years for Your Greatest Legacy. Guest speaker Dr.Ken Canfield says that “grandparents have the opportunity to leave a lasting and impactful legacy.” He encourages grandparents to “communicate their own heritage to their grandchildren, which helps in the formation of their developing identities, and building resiliency.” Dr. Canfield also emphasizes the importance of being a godly example, because the best lessons are caught, rather than taught” (Adapted from Dr. James Dobson Family Institute).

It’s a gift and a calling to be a grandparent.

We must take the responsibility of being a grandparent very seriously and believe in what the scripture says in Deuteronomy 7:9 where God says: “…He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.” Being a grandparent allows us to pray for our grandchildren and to be a godly influence to them. Our blessings, as grandparents, over our children and grandchildren, go for a thousand generations! That’s pretty powerful.

There truly is nothing more important than being passionate about influencing and teaching the future generations about Jesus Christ. Ever since I became a Christian, I have had a strong desire to leave a legacy of faith for my children and grandchildren. In fact, about 5 years ago the Lord led me to start a prayer ministry, that I named “The Red Sea Road Prayer Ministry.” We pray for the next generation of Christ followers.

As Dr. Canfield says, we grandparents have the opportunity to leave a lasting and impactful legacy for our families. Leaving a legacy of faith in Christ begins with our own walk with the Lord. Are we living in the fruit of the Spirit? How do we treat people? How is our tone of voice? What about our homes-are there Bibles around, or pictures with scripture on the walls? Our grandchildren observe us, and we influence them through our actions. This is why it’s important that we be doers of God’s word (James 1:22).

Grandparents: Write your legacy out!

Another way of leaving a legacy behind is to write your prayers, words of wisdom, your stories in a journal. When our granddaughter, Emersyn, was born I ordered a notebook with her name on it. In this personalized journal, I write out my prayers and thoughts to her. This way she can read them when she is older, and have them to keep well after I have left this earth. I don’t write in her notebook every day, but I try to as often as possible. This is one way to leave a legacy-writing it out. Emersyn can read about her Grandma Biji, and her Grandpa Will’s love for Jesus and love for her for years to come.

I realize that not everyone has amicable relationships with their children and grandchildren. I love that in Part 2 of “Grandparenting: Using Your Best Years for Your Greatest Legacy -with Guest Dr. Ken Canfield,” Dr. Canfield talks about how “grandparents are called to be reconcilers and teachers to help bridge the gap in family dynamics.” He says, if you are estranged you can still bless from afar. He does, however, encourage to send a text or pick up the phone to bring peace and unity back into your family.

As we get older, we must not have a limited view of our remaining years.

Grandparenting is a beautiful calling from the Lord. A grandchild can give purpose and a desire for enjoying our latter years of life. As grandmothers and grandfathers, we have a unique and important role to play in our grandchildren’s lives. We have a lot to offer them and if we take our responsibility seriously, we can make a big difference in our grandchildren’s lives.

I never would have thought of grandparenting to be the best years of my life, but I am starting to think they may be. As grandparents, we don’t have the same stress and busy lifestyle that we had when we were raising our children. Now we are older, wiser and more relaxed.

Emersyn is our first grandchild, and we look forward to watching her grow up in the ways of the Lord. Gratefully, Emersyn’s parents both love Jesus. As Emersyn’s grandparents, my husband and I plan on loving her and influencing her life towards a deep understanding of Jesus’s grace. We pray the Lord blesses us with many more grandchildren and we await with a joyful anticipation for each one of them to arrive. I’m excited for the opportunity to impact each one of them by teaching them about the love of their Creator.

I feel so encouraged at the thought that my best years are not in the past, but ahead of me. Thank You Lord for a fresh sense of purpose and motivation for my life. Thank You God for the gift of grandparenting.

A very blessed Grandparents Day to all grandparents (including spiritual grandmothers and grandfathers) 💝

“We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.” ~ Psalm 78:4