Wednesday, April 20, 2011

From Generation To Generation

The last several months I have been thinking a lot about my Mom. I have thought about her before as I think about her almost everyday but more the last several months. It is probably because the time is creeping up on the anniversary of her death some time ago.


I really miss her and at times it is almost unbearable. I know she is in a much better place now and I am happy for her but it doesn’t help my grief at times. I was pretty close to Mom, that doesn’t mean I never got mad at her or her me but we were very close.

We were always able to talk to one another about anything and I cherish those times. I don't know how the subject of the Lord ever came up or exactly what she ever said to me, I just remember always knowing about the Lord and His Son, Mom wanted me to know about Him. She taught me about prayer, I still remember some of the prayers she taught me. I remember the first Bible I ever received, it was from Mom and Dad, and they had gotten a Bible for each of us three girls. I still have that Bible and it means so much to me. One day this Bible will go to my daughter, Debi. I pray it will mean as much to her as it has me.

I believe Mom knew the importance of me knowing the Lord so when I got married and had children I would be able to tell them about the Lord. Then when my children grew up, got married, and had children they would be able to tell them about the Lord. This is supposed to go on generation after generation after generation. I don’t know for sure but I am presuming my Grandmother told my Mom about the Lord but nothing that I can remember was ever told to me about it.

Mom planted the Seed in my heart so that it would never leave me. I might not have lived for the Lord for some years but I still prayed and knew He was there for me. I knew things about the Lord and knew He helped me but I didn’t have a personal relationship with Him. This was not Mom’s fault, it was mine. I was the one that had walked away from the Lord. This is where my daughter comes in, she rededicated her life to Christ after her and Jim was married. She is the one that told me so many things about the Lord. She got me started reading my Bible and she would come out to the house and we would study the Word. Thanks, Debi. This has always meant so much to me, I pray you know just how much.

In Judges 2:10; “And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there rose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel”.

In this verse it is telling us one generation had passed but the next generations failed to believe in what the Lord had done for the generations before. The new generation drifted away from the Lord and the righteous commitment of their fathers and the relationship they had with God. They allowed their lives to conform to the lifestyles and values to the surrounding nations and this resulted it general apostasy.

Mom knowing the Lord wanted me to know also, this way I could tell my children and they could tell their children and they could tell their children, and this would go on for generation after generation. So far this has continued and I pray it will continue up to the time the Lord Jesus Christ returns. Mom was able to see some of this going from generation to generation. I am so glad she was able to see some of it in the works, she was able to see how Debi’s children love the Lord.

After I was married, and had children, and Debi grown, she explained to me how my relationship with the Lord should be and in turn I was able to explain it to Mom. All of this started with Mom telling me about the Lord and this knowledge has gone from generation to generation. God wants us to tell our children about Him and the love He has for all and also that He wants us to have a relationship with Him. We have not been like the children of Israel, our knowledge of the Lord has stayed with us.

Dave was raised in Sunday school and church but like me, he walked away for awhile. We gave our life to the Lord thirty years ago and have been walking with Him ever since. We are able to read and talk to each other about the Word of God and are able to pray together as we should. Our life is so much happier now, this doesn’t mean we don’t have trials and tribulations because we do but the Lord is with us and helps us.

God works in wondrous ways, we may not know He is working in our lives and the lives of others that will continue to work in the lives of generations to come but He does. I give Him praises and glorify Him for the works He started in Mom and has continued. He has kept this going in five generations, 1. My Mom’s life; 2. My life; 3. Debi’s life; 4. Jenifer’s life; 5. Jenifer’s children’s life. I am sure it will continue in Jenifer’s children’s life.

I want to take this time to say “Thank you Mom, and thank you, Debi”. The one I want to thank the most is the Lord. He loved all of us so much he went to all this trouble. My praise goes up to you, Lord.

Thank you for stopping by and may you always know the love, joy, and peace of the Lord.

2 comments:

Debi said...

I miss Nanny so much, too! It's been 20 years in May. Yet, the pain of losing her is still as real as it was that day!

I am so thankful that God has allowed me to play a part in bringing you and Daddy back to Him! I am so thankful that the Seed was planted in each of you early on. All I did was water it a little!

Thank you for being there for me, as Nanny was for you! I love you with all my heart!

Jenifer Metzger said...

Wow, I can't believe it has been twenty years. I know I was young when she passed but I remember her so clearly and miss her greatly. Nanny I love you!

We must teach our children about the Lord so they can pass it on to their children. Thank you for this reminder.