Friday, January 20, 2006

Well done, good and faithful servant!

Alec's grandpa died this afternoon. I was thinking about the few short times I was able to visit with him and started feeling sad that my children will never know him. Such a sweet, godly man.

Then tonight while I was washing the dishes (where I do my best thinking - what else is there to do?) I realized something when a song I had listened to today popped into my head. Yes, it's sad that my kids won't know Grandpa Hammar, but he's influenced them anyway.

The song I had in my head was "Generations" by Sara Groves. It's inspired by Deuteronomy 11:26-28, which says, "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse- the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known." Here are the words to the first 2 verses and chorus:

I can taste the fruit of Eve.
I'm aware of sickness, death and disease.
The results of her choices were vast.
Eve was the first but she wasn't the last.

If I were honest with myself,
had I been standing at that tree,
my mouth and my hands would be covered with fruit.
Things I shouldn't know and things I shouldn't see.

Chorus: Remind me of this with every decision.
Generations will reap what I sow.
I can pass on a curse or a blessing
to those I will never know.

To my great-great-great-granddaughter, live in peace.
To my great-great-great-grandson, live in peace.
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So it got me thinking. Grandpa sure left a great legacy for Luke, even though he won't know him. I have lots of grand and great-grandparents that left the same for me and I never met them. What will I leave for my great-grandchildren?

And all tied up in that is another "most important thing" -- what will Jesus say to me when I see him? As Matthew 25:34-36 says, "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'" This is what is important and this is what I must teach to my children.

Grandpa Hammar did that and today he saw Jesus. I'm sure that right around 1:30 this afternoon Jesus was saying to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matthew 25:21)

With that said, here is the legacy-receiving grandchild enjoying his birthday present from Aunt Kelly, Uncle David, and Cousin Lexi:

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We've been exchanging farm-themed presents lately. I sent Lexi "Charlotte's Web" for her birthday and Luke got a "Little People" farm from them for Chrismas.

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This was the perfect gift, strange as it may seem: animal bookends. Luke loves books and he love animals. I wish I could include a sound clip of him when he saw these - such chattering and giggling! Kelly, he was thrilled. Thank you!

2 comments:

Gayle and Rob said...

I think of Psalm 78: "We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord..." Luke is part of a golden chain of salvation that stretches back to the apostles and Jesus Christ. Grandpa Hammar was a strong link in that chain. You and Alec have the joy and responsibility of forging Luke into an important part of that same chain. The really neat thing is that there were people further up the chain who were praying for you, Alec, and Luke long before you were born, just as we now pray for those yet to come.

MLE said...

Sorry I'm a little behind the times. My sympathies to you and Alec, but your thoughts were lovely. Thanks for sharing.