Intentional Grandparenting (part 2 of 2)
Here are four observations to get started with intentional grandparenting:
It’s really important to clarify the goals of your grandparenting. If you are going to focus on a spiritual mission in the lives of your grands, what is that mission? I have identified two that motivate my grandparenting. First and most importantly, my prayer is that my grandchildren will all be in heaven with me one day. That means they need to have heard that Jesus is their Rescuer from sin. They need to have heard the gospel. One of the best starting places is to share your faith journey with your grandkids . . . yes, even more than once, in various ways. I dare say this won’t happen if you don’t look for opportunities to make it happen. Most importantly, we know that the Holy Spirit must work in their lives for their redemption. My second goal is that my grandchildren know that God’s Word is completely true and thus is authoritative and applicable to all areas of their lives. This is not easily caught through one big sermon. I prefer the “here a little, there a little” approach. I find that a small comment here and a little word there as you do life together is much more effective.
Make sure you are intentional while the “clay is soft.” You will have more opportunities to teach spiritual truth to your grands while they are preschoolers and elementary students than after they are grown adults. For years, our eldest granddaughter went to bed with her parents singing “Jesus Loves Me” to her. When we would babysit her, the same was expected of us. I remember she always wanted me to sing “he who died,” referring to the second verse. And every time I ended our bedtime lullaby by saying, “That is a very wonderful thought to fall asleep on.” Jesus loves me, he who died, Heaven's gate to open wide; He will wash away my sin, Let his little child come in. My observation is that by the time our grands are in college, their worldviews are much more firmly formed. Yes, you can still have impactful, stimulating discussions, but the “clay” has now hardened, and the formation of a Biblical worldview comes with greater effort and cost.
Don’t expect that intentionally teaching spiritual truth to your grandchildren will necessarily come naturally and easily. Satan, our enemy and crafty deceiver, wants nothing more than to foil your attempts to guide your grandchildren toward a Biblical worldview. I had every intention this last Christmas of somehow sharing my salvation story with the grandchildren while the family gathered for the holidays. I had prayed earnestly that this might happen, but there never seemed be a break in the action where it would meaningfully fit. If that happens to you, don’t get discouraged. Perhaps next time a one-on-one conversation will work better. Plan for it. Pray for it. Stay strong against the enemy’s strategies.
I have had grandparents comment that it’s hard to weave spiritual conversation into visits with the grandkids. Remember that any activity or project involving creation is a golden opportunity. Romans 1:19–20 indicates that God has made the truth about himself obvious: “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God” . Whether you are looking at the stars in the sky at night or are waiting for a monarch chrysalis to open into a butterfly, design by the Creator God is obvious. Talk about it! Don’t stop short and just enjoy the view. We have asked the grands so many times when there is evidence of design, “What does that mean, kids?” And they all respond, “That there is a Designer!” And who is that Designer? No one less than the Creator God himself! Be intentional to extend the discussion and use the teaching moment to talk about God.
I have often wondered how my children and grandchildren will remember me when my journey with them is over. Will I be remembered for building Lego sets, spending overnights at the cabin, or baking cookies with them at Christmas? All these things are great, but do they have spiritual significance on their own? Several years ago, our grandson paid us the greatest compliment we could ever be given—he thanked us for being “rock solid” when it came to Christian faith. With shifting sand everywhere, our grands need to see rock-solid grandparents.
