A Shared Faith

We don’t attend the same church, and we don’t live in the same town. In fact, we’ve never even lived in the same state. But the bond between my grandchildren and me is based on something deeper than physical proximity and shared experiences, even if they don’t completely understand that yet. We have the bond of a shared faith; and on a recent Skype call with one of my granddaughters, there was a special moment.

Three generations (my son, his daughter, and I) joining together in an impromptu hymn of praise ("Great is Thy Faithfulness") to the One we all love and trust. At age eight, my granddaughter doesn’t have a lot of personal experience yet with God’s faithfulness; but my son and I have many stories we can (and do) tell about the God we have each individually come to know as completely trustworthy.

Stories about God’s blessings in our lives and his sometimes miraculous provision for all of our needs; stories about God’s gift of love in our lives and his guidance for major life decisions like marriage, jobs, housing, and moving; stories about answered prayers and God’s sufficient grace through difficult times, including healing of illnesses like cancers and a liver transplant; stories about four adoptions that were masterminded by God; stories of God’s strength and constant presence with us; and stories of spiritual growth.  So many stories of God’s faithfulness.

Sometimes I get discouraged about the physical distance between my grandchildren’s home and mine. We are separated by four states and over 1800 miles. To be honest, it is sometimes easy to be envious of friends who get to see their grandchildren regularly. There is too much time between hugs, and I miss the physical touch. And while I am thankful for modern technology, Skype can’t replace being with those we love in person.

But most of the time I remember that these kinds of thoughts are not a good place for my mind to stay, and I heed the words of 2 Corinthians 10:5 to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”. I am also reminded of what 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says: “give thanks in all circumstances”, as well as the words of Philippians 4:8: “ . . . whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things”.

So during this Thanksgiving week, I want to count my blessings, not focus on what I wish was different. How grateful I am for children who love God and grandchildren who are learning what that means! And for all the stories from our past that recap God’s constant and continuous faithfulness to us. May we all take time, especially this week, to count our blessings and thank the gracious God from whom all blessings flow.