"I will extol you, My God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your might acts."
Psalm 145: 1-4
After spending some time by the beach this past week with my dear family and sweet grandmother, I have also listened to stories of regret, stories of the past. Summers past. Things we wish we could change and do over.
Time flies. We all know it. I used to roll my eyes each time my nana would say it, but now I know it. The older you get, the faster time flies by.
Small decisions. Daily decisions add up into years, and years into a lifetime. What we do each day and each summer will add up. One day, I too will be 80, reflecting on what I passed down, on what I made important.
What will I pass down? What will remain when I leave? In one hundred years, will it matter where I vacationed, the traditions we kept, the recipes I passed along, how I cleaned the house? Even though I wish I knew my great grandmothers fail-proof recipe for cinnamon rolls or her favorite dinner recipe, does it really matter in the end?
Traditions. They matter, but we must remain focused. Are we family-centric or Christ-centric? Do we celebrate family or enjoy the family as we celebrate God? Our families must remain strong, so we can disciple and train, love and encourage, admonish and exhort, and our focus must be God's glory, not family fun. One must come before other.
I always have to check myself, when I start to get anxious about vacations, traditions and family fun. Holiday crafts, recipes and fun...all great, but none necessary. What will last? What matters? Who are we celebrating? Who are we trying to please? Do we want to be remembered, or do we want HIM to be remembered?
On vacation, it is tempting to throw all routine out the window and be free from all discipline, but now that my family knows about our family Bible time, we are held accountable....Praise the Lord. Girls wet and sandy from playing at the beach on a sunset walk in the sand, we scrubbed them down and huddled around the Bible and the guitar, read a Psalm, sang a song and prayed for our dear family and friends.
What a blessing. What a memory. What a tradition. I pray that in years to come, the one tradition that sticks is keeping God's word as our anchor, growing deep roots in His truth, and making His glory our top priority.
Remembering we can't trust our feelings or emotions. Though we are tired and burdened, with lots of family and friends, out of routine, making time to remember our God is the best thing we could ever do with our families. It even tops the sunset at the beach and sand between your toes. Rest is important, but rest can't be accomplished apart from Christ. He is our rest.
As Nate and I listen to my Nana recall summers past, and memories flood her mind, I am reminded again that God doesn't call for perfection, just praise. Each generation can build upon the last, by learning from past sins and victories. What a blessing to sit around a table with those who have gone before us, learning. Vacations. Such a sweet time to reflect on God's goodness and grace!
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| Sweet Nana...passing on the love for Jesus...4 generations deep! |
