Dearest Lord Jesus, We come to you today, praying for each of our grandchildren and their parents. While these loved ones are precious to us, they are more adored by You, their Lord and Savior. We pray You bless them with good health, sound minds, healthy emotions and loving hearts. Please guide and guard them in this challenging world. Let them know You intimately, love them passionately and that they serve You faithfully all the days of their lives. We pray You equip us to be the godly grandparents, which You envisioned when You created us. May we always love our grandchildren as You love them. May we understand them as You understand them and view them as You view them. Lord Jesus, we now place our thanksgivings and prayer request for our grandchildren and their parents at the foot of the cross… (As we pray this please mention your children and grandchildren by name, giving thanks and offering special prayer requests.) All this, we ask in Your precious and powerful Name, Jesus! Amen.
It is a time to receive and to appreciate all that they have given us. Many of us have wonderful memories of our grandparents. Maybe we recall a celebration or family tradition, or perhaps simply their presence in our lives. We might have a keepsake that reminds us of them, of the times we shared with them one-on-one, and of their love for us. We treasure their stories and advice. These things remind us of what we have received — and continue to receive — from them. One thing we receive from them is perspective in the here and now. We live in turbulent times. We can focus so much on our current circumstances that we give them an outsized importance and perhaps think that we are alone in facing our challenges. Our grandparents and the elderly put things in perspective and teach us that we are not alone. They remind us that there have been difficulties in the past — often greater than our current difficulties — and that many have gone before us and have faced similar struggles. They themselves struggled, suffered setbacks and sorrows, but still found much joy in their lives. By looking back and reflecting, we can see that they are able to offer us unparalleled advice and perspective.
Written by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge 7/19/22
Reflections by Bob 