by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come: Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is….) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com.
Train up a Child…
“Jesus Lives at Nana’s House”
Our 2 ½ yr. old grandson was asked, “Garrett, where is Jesus?” He thought for a moment and then replied, “Jesus lives at Nana’s house!”
I wondered why Garrett would say what he said, and I started thinking about what a 2 ½ yr. old would or could know about Jesus and why he responded as he did. His folks do not take him to Sunday School or church. I have sung “Jesus Loves Me”, “Jesus Loves the Little Children”, “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam”, and other songs about Jesus as I rocked him, read to him, then sang and prayed with him at bedtime. Although I seldom get to see him since he lives in Iowa and my husband and I live in Missouri, undoubtedly. he had learned that there was someone named Jesus through the limited effort I had made.
Sometimes we mistakenly think that there is nothing we can do to influence our grandchildren. Contrary to this notion, I believe grandparents have a very important role to play in influencing those little ones around us. It is never too early to start. Even a tiny baby can be influenced by music and words. As a child hears an adult say, “Please bless Mommy & Daddy, Nana & Grandpa, and everyone in the whole wide world”, he becomes aware of the needs of others.
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The above was written when our grandson was a baby. Now, he is enrolled in college and will begin his journey toward a degree in geology next fall. (I still have a “pet rock” in my car that I carry around wherever I go, that he gave me when he was a toddler.) He lives far from me but to my knowledge, he still doesn’t attend church. Although it bothers me to think of him not attending church, it gives me some satisfaction to know that he has heard of Jesus and has learned good manners.
Grandparents, we should never underestimate the influence we can have on our grandchildren. We need to continually pray for them and do whatever we can to help them learn about our Lord. Grandparents hold a special place in the heart of most children, and we should never underestimate the amount of influence we can have on them. We should not, however, continually brag on them while they are listening. After all, if they keep hearing us say how wonderful they are, where is the incentive to improve?
Let me repeat, let’s not forget the influence we can have on our grandchildren! It is an opportunity we cannot afford to pass up!
Pat Lamb (Nana)