Raising Generations

I recently was reading this blog where they were doing a giveaway for this necklace. The description about the necklace struck me. Hard. Like a 2X4 hitting me on the head and I've literally spent hours (hello I just drove like 20 hours in a car over the past few days) thinking about the magnitude of these words.

“I chose the words “Raising Generations” because I wanted a beautiful reminder of my great calling as a mother and the fact that the decisions I’m making today with my children will not only affect my children, but my children’s children and beyond. This is a sobering reality…sobering and humbling!

The song “Generations” by Sara Groves also inspired the necklace, here is an excerpt:

“Remind me of this with every decision
Generations will reap what I sow
I can pass on a curse or a blessing
To those I will never know”

-Sara Groves

How often do we think about those words? How often do we think that the choices we make for not only ourselves but also our for our children will affect generations years from now?

Truthfully I've been thinking about that before I saw this necklace; since I knew my Grandma wasn't going to make it here on this Earth much longer. I thought about how the choices she made, the way she raised my Mom, loved my Dad as if he was her own son, the way she loved us as her grandchildren, the way she prayed daily for all of us and how those choices have all in a way shaped who we are today. I've thought about it often. I've cried bucketfuls of tears. And I've felt an immense sense of gratitude and responsibility. The truth is I want to live a legacy like she did. I want to be known for loving the Lord, my family, and my friends. I want people to know that I know their name, they matter to me, and I genuinely want to know their life. I want to be the woman who loves the "married in kids" just as much as her 'real' kids. I want to be the woman who loved simple things in life like peeling apples. I want to be the woman who still smiles even though life isn't going to way she hoped and desperately prayed it would. I want to be the woman known for not only her strength but also her tenderness. I want to be the woman who lives each day knowing the choices she makes is raising generations to come.

The sad truth is my Grandma won't know my {hopeful}future children. They won't be able to know the wonderfulness of her. They won't have her as a fantastic prayer warrior. BUT. She left generations behind her. She left pieces of her in each of her kids, grandkids, great grandkids, great great grandkids. And each of us are raising our own generations. Some of which we will be lucky enough to know. Some we won't. Some will know first hand of our love, pride, sacrifice. Others will only get to hear stories and see pictures and experience that love from other generations.

So remember today in your talks with your children or your husband. Remember when you are frustrated or joyful. Remember when you are busy or bored. You are raising generations. Your actions, your words are shaping generations to come. What a wonderful, enormous gift we've been given.

Feb 2008