When you are so impacted that the very meaning and description of something changes radically — that is a defining moment. My husband and I had that WAKEUP moment over eight years ago when we attended a grandparenting conference called the Legacy Grandparenting Summit. Legacy Coalition holds this conference for grandparents to inspire, encourage, and challenge them to fulfill their God given calling in this season of their lives. We were good grandparents seeking to live godly lives before our grandchildren. We supported their parents, our children, doing all the things grandparents normally do. We cheered the grandchildren on in school and sports activities, we attended events in person, were active in their lives, and babysat often. We loved them!
But...at that conference we realized we were missing an important or should I say critical piece. We were not intentionally passing on our legacy of faith. It was not that it was an afterthought, we just had not thought of it at all. Our definition of grandparenting changed that day. We committed to God that we would be intentional Christian grandparents. We are still learning and growing but we have seen marvelous fruit already. Capitalizing on milestone events is one of the first things we started doing.
Milestone Events
These are meaningful life events that occur from the grandchild’s birth to graduation and even getting married and beyond. They include spiritual events like baby dedication, salvation, baptism, and joining the church. Other events could center around school progression, getting that first job, considering who to date and marry, or buying that first car. These are times God can use you to speak truth and offer loving guidance.
At each of these transition points or junctures in their life, God can use you to offer your wisdom through your experience in life and more importantly your history with God. Here are some things you could say or do.
Age focused
At a grandchild’s baby dedication, you could write a letter. This letter could include your prayers and hopes for him. It could be tucked into a Bible that is given to him at his 18th birthday. This is an example of an event-focused activity around a milestone.
Event focused
Consider a rite of passage activity that is age focused. At age 13, you could have different spiritual men speak into the life of your grandson. What does it mean to be a godly man? The same can be done with godly women speaking into the life of your granddaughters. What does it mean to be a godly woman?
Legacy focused
Pass on a special heirloom to a grandchild who is graduating from high school, trade school, or college. It could be a Bible of yours, complete with your markings and notes. It could be a piece of jewelry or something that has been handed down from generation to generation. Attach a note explaining the history of the heirloom.
In each of these instances, use the milestone event to build their relationship with God, their relationship with you, and relationship to future generations. Remember that what we leave behind will keep teaching, reminding, and telling the family stories. Seek to be age focused, event focused, and legacy focused as you celebrate milestone events.
May God give you some special times or moments where you can help shape and mold the lives of your grandchildren. As grandparents we are living longer and therefore have a greater window of opportunity to influence their lives. Let’s use it for God’s glory and our grandchildren’s good!
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