Last night before I fell asleep I was thinking of my Dad and Mom and the legacy they left me. Tomorrow is the date of their marriage, they were married just short of sixty years when my Dad died in 2005.
They were both first generation Americans, born to Norwegian immigrants. They grew up on farms in Iowa and Minnesota. Dad was a husband, father, heavy equipment operator and mechanic. He built roads, dams, bridges and pipelines. Fishing was his passion, he enjoyed hunting, tinkering in his workshop and playing cards and dominoes with his friends. Mom was a wife, homemaker, school teacher, clerical worker and bank teller. She loved to bake, sew, knit, and read. She always enjoyed having the house full of family and friends.
My parents loved each other dearly and they practiced the art of forgiveness. They modeled, not a perfect life, but certainly a loving one. They were strict, we had rules. We learned to work hard, respect our elders, and obedience. They loved the Lord and honored His word. My brother, sister and I grew up in Sunday School and church. We learned to trust the Lord at an early age.
We weren’t perfect, each of us had times when we followed our own path without consideration for the Lord but we returned to serve Him.
Why am I taking this trip down memory lane this morning?
I want it to be an encouragement to young parents, to parents of teenagers, to parents of adult children, and to grandparents. My Mom and Dad prayed for us every day and they prayed for our grandchildren. Mom prayed over my oldest two children on their last visit with her before she died. She trusted the Lord to provide them with strength, courage and a lasting relationship with Him.
“Bring up a child by teaching him the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn away from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NLV
“I will make My agreement between Me and you and your children after you through their whole lives for all time. I will be God to you and to your children’s children after you.” Genesis 17:7 NLV
My parents molded my character with love and discipline. Dave and I followed that example and raised our children the same way and I am pleased to say that our children are raising and have raised their children the same way.
“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 Keep these words in your heart that I am telling you today. 7 Do your best to teach them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:5-7 NLV
As parents the Lord has entrusted us with a responsibility to teach our children to love and honor Him and His word. There is no greater legacy!