We have the great benefit of generations who have come before us and we have much to learn from talking with them. They can teach us about life, love, and the ‘way things were.’ They can teach us how to be better or not take life so seriously and teach us when to apply each of those as appropriate. And they can most especially talk to us about the things of God. We can initiate these conversations with the generations ahead of us and help our kids do the same.

“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 on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the way, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7   

• Neighbors- Have you ever interacted with your neighbors who are in a more advanced season of life than your family? Take them some cookies, make time to sit and chat, notice when they could use a hand shoveling the snow, check in on them every now and then. Sometimes we get so distracted by our own routine that we fail to notice the people living nearest to us. Talk to your kids about how to form or foster these relationships and how God might be using your family in that neighbor’s life.
• Church Friends-Redeemer is blessed with older church friends who take the time to learn kids’ names and talk with them often, but does your family ever reciprocate? Do you know about their family? What they did this week? What their interests are? Talk about how God put all generations together in His Church for a reason and all the benefits of that.
• Grandparents-Grandparents are a treasure and gift God gives to families to help point us to Him throughout our lives. Together create a list of questions you can ask all the grandparents about their faith and how life experiences impacted their faith. Be sure to include a question about how you can be in prayer for them and then pray!

As we look to the generations who have come before us, we can praise God for the great gift of faith He has given them and ask Him to help us learn all that we can from them.