I've Failed Twice, but this Item is Still on Our Bucket List for the Year!

We’ve lost the list . . . TWICE! And it was an important list. We had a grand plan, but so far, I have lacked follow through. I want that to change and it’s why this item is still on our bucket list for the year. Here it is:

• Make a list of intentional questions and record our children interviewing their grandparents.

This idea came from Episode 87 of The Savvy Sauce: Visionary Parenting and Grand-Parenting with Dr. Rob Rienow.

First, he vision casts the eternal importance of parents and grandparents. He starts by slowing us down through Deuteronomy 6:5-7:

“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (NIV)

This may be a set of verses we are very familiar with, but Rob has an uncanny way of drawing out practical applications after we ponder these words. 

He shares how God is revealing, “If you wanna love Me, mission number one: help the kids love Me. If you want My word in your heart, mission number one: help the kids and grandkids have My word in their heart.” 

He goes on to explain God’s “purpose of the family is to be a disciple-making center . . . God has brought us together, not just to have a home or have a family, but that He created our family to advance His kingdom in the world.” 

Rob continues to teach that Scripture even lays out the strategy for impressing God’s Word and God’s will on our children. What is the exact way to do it? See the next word in this passage: 

Talk.

When do we talk? God is so gracious to even answer this with a practical response! Rob says “God gives these four specific moments of the day where he says this is a great time to have a spiritual connection with your kids.” Those four times are set before us in the final sentence of this Scripture passage. They include when we sit at home, when we travel from point A to point B, bedtime, and the first moments of the day. Maximizing these moments of spiritual openness and warmth and closeness is wise. This is discipleship! 

Rob wisely shares that “In the Bible, family is much broader than parents and children in the home. You’ve got an incredible impact of grandparents and great-grandparents from the standpoint of multi-generational faith.” 

Then he turns the focus to the older generations, “If you've got grandkids somewhere in the world, priority one is doing everything in your power to impress the hearts of those grandkids with a love for God, and serve as really special mentors for them, playing a totally, totally unique role. You know, we talk about how God has called parents to be the primary spiritual influencers of their kids. But if you lock yourself in the room with the Bible and you say, okay, well, if parents are primary, you know, who's number two? Well, number two would be grandparents.”

This is just a glimpse into the wisdom poured out in this episode. But let’s capitalize on this supernaturally blessed relationship: children and grandchildren. One way to honor the grandparents is to come up with a list of intentional questions for the grandkids to ask in an interview format. This is a special conversation, so we want to make sure we are preserving it. Documenting it with audio and/or video is a great way to practically live out another part of Scripture:

Psalm 78:4, 7

We will not hide them from their descendants;

    we will tell the next generation

the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,

    his power, and the wonders he has done.

Then they would put their trust in God

    and would not forget his deeds

    but would keep his commands. (NIV)

If you want to give this a try, begin with the list of questions Rob shared:

What was life like for you growing up?

What were some of the most important lessons that God taught you in your life? 

If you had to do it over again when you were this age, what would you do differently? 

What's something about God that you want us to remember?

Feel free to add your own questions to this list! Two different times we were on a family road trip, headed to be with the grandparents, and we all participated to come up with approximately 20 questions. Somehow in all the excitement of being together, we lost the list both times! Now I am motivated to either find those original lists or start over and follow through with this intentional interview. I hope you choose to do the same!!

Let me know how it goes!

Love always,

Laura

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About The Savvy Sauce

Practical chats for intentional living

A faith-based podcast and resources to help you grow closer to Jesus and others. Expect encouragement, surprises, and hope here. Each episode offers lively interviews with fascinating guests such as therapists, authors, non-profit founders, and business leaders. 

They share their best practices and savvy tips we can replicate to make our daily life and relationships more enjoyable!

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