Heart Reflections Live

From Generation to Generation: I've often looked at photos of those in my family who've run their race already and have gone on to be with the Lord. Some I've been privileged to know & love, others I must be content to know through the family stories passed down, knowing I'll see them in Heaven one day.

As you may have guessed, passing on our Christian Family Heritage is very important in our house. It's an important part of the Word of God too. The Bible is always exhorting us to think beyond ourselves, to think multi-generationally- from generation to generation & to learn lessons from the Patriarchs, both biblically & in our own families too. Psalm 145 shows the greatness & glory of our God & His goodness to us. How important it is for us to not only remember this, but to speak forth & sing His praises daily & pass this on to the next generation.

Our relationship with God & our love for His holy Word needs to be in our hearts & on our lips 24-7, not just at Church or mid-week Bible Study. We need to look for every opportunity to impart this to our children:

DEUT. 6:7 "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down & when thou risest up." We need to constantly re-evaluate how we spend our time with our children. Are we actively sharing Jesus & God's ways with them, or are we teaching them the ways of the world?

I know when I find myself starting to feel discontent & gloomy over the dirty dishes waiting to be washed, or the nappies in the nappy bucket- it helps me to think back in time to my Great-grandmother, Henrietta, who lived on a farm, near Toowoomba, in Queensland, Australia. She was a wonderful, Christian woman; I've been told, of the Lutheran faith. She reared 8 children (all close together)- Hey! And I've only got 2. Imagine HER nappy pile- and she didn't have a washing machine! Would she have gotten bluesy from time to time? I imagine she would have, and do you know what else I imagine? I imagine her counting her blessings, praising the Lord, looking out the window across the rich soil of the Darling Downs & yet seeing beyond that to the glories of Heaven still to come" Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Sing for the night is o'er Hosanna in the highest Hosanna for Evermore."

I imagine her sons pitching in on the farm & her girls helping her around the house-all learning a good work ethic & the tradition of having the Word of God read at mealtimes. This so inspires me-You know why? It's the same God who saved me!! HEB. 13:8 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever."

Sometimes I feel I have a lot to live up to when I study my heritage. I have always, since my younger days in the faith, loved the writings of John Bunyan- especially The Pilgrims Progress. When my Dad's Father passed away, it was revealed to me that through him we were direct descendants of John Bunyan, I was floored! I hope if ever I am persecuted for my faith, that I handle myself with the same strength & dignity that he had. We have collected some of his writings & will be reading them to our girls as they get older.

One of my Aunties has written a book ("One Way Ticket" by Fay Bradford) on my father's side of the family, who emigrated from Schleswig-Holstein & pioneered 2 townships in Queensland, Australia. I think of the quiet faith & fortitude the women in particular must have had to leave a cultured, middle-class life in Germany, travel by sea & become a pioneer in the Queensland bush. I am fascinated by stories told of my Great-great-grandmother Catherine (pronounced Cat-ar-ina). She married a widower with 6 children & then they had another 4 of their own. Here is a quote about her from my Auntie's book, spoken by one of Catherine's step-sons, shortly before he died, "… but I do remember every day & night of our mother (meaning his step-mother), & her love for us though so many & her love & work for everyone in the district, day & night. The sick & the well, she was ever ready to comfort & befriend. The babies she brought into the world, the eyes she closed for the dying, the trials & tribulations she suffered through the years, all made her our lovely Mother, & I'm sure she would be pleased to know you are here with me doing the same good work."

What an example of a Titus 2 woman-how this Quote makes me grieve over my short-comings & hunger for more of the fruit of the Spirit in my own life. We can learn so much looking back, that can help us gain strength to go forward. Even if we feel we have no Christian Family Heritage, we can still learn from some of the "sad & sorry" characters in our family, not to follow in that way. Just think-our Lord Jesus had Rahab- a former prostitute in His family line. History becomes a wealth of lessons for us when we know the Lord.

I love to teach our children the great hymns of our forefathers. The words are so rich in Bible truths- for they also worshipped the same God. I also love reading the King James Bible. I'm reading the same version my Grandfather grew up on & read every night & I love to think of all the great revivals that came from that wonderful version. Gaining wisdom from the "old paths" JER.6: 16, helps me to grow in Jesus who is alive in me today.it is my hearts desire that our 2 daughters also grow up to know the Lord & walk in grace & truth as we study God's Word & learn from our heritage together.