My husband and I recently returned from visiting our children and grandchildren in the Pacific northwest, and I was telling my friend about how wonderful it was being “Nana.” As we chatted over lunch she asked, “If you could wish one thing for your grandchildren what would it be?”
It was an intriguing question, and I didn’t want to give her a shallow or flippant answer. I thought about my own life and how things that used to matter don’t seem to matter as much anymore. I used to be super focused on getting things right, and I thought living as a Christian meant managing my life so that I looked capable and strong. I felt a lot of pressure to keep up the image but didn’t realize how it often caused me anger, anxiety, and depression. Of course, I knew that Jesus loved me, but I didn’t recognize the gravity and passion of His love. Now I want more than that for my grandchildren.
What I’ve learned is that God’s relentless love allows me to increasingly live out of freedom instead of pressure. Though I sometimes slip back into my old ways, I remind myself that my Father delights in me, and it awakens my desire to walk in rhythm with His Spirit and to follow where He is leading, Because of His grace, I can more readily accept His invitation to enter even my anger and anxiety knowing that He will be always at my side with His forgiveness and comfort. His love for me never wavers.
All of these thoughts and more crowded my mind as I pondered my friend’s question about my grandchildren. Surely I want them to be safe, healthy, happy, kind, secure, confident, generous – and of course to love Nana! But if I had only one wish it would not be anything from that list. Rather, I want them to grow up desiring to live as godly men and women – not striving in order to please God but knowing He is already pleased with them as His beloved. No matter what disappointments and struggles they may meet with in their lives, I pray they will never forget how loved they are and will always believe that they are God’s treasured, redeemed, gifted children. And as they abide in God’s immeasurable love, I pray they will generously share this gift with others.
Paul’s desire for the believers in Philippi was this: “I pray that your love will overflow more and more and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ’s return.” (Philippians 1:9-10) My grandchildren are still too young to understand what most deeply matters in this world. But I told my friend that my one wish for them is that when all is said and done, they may realize that what really matters is love – God’s love offered to them at enormous cost and their willingness to offer love to others, even when it’s not easy. I fear what my grandchildren might face in this world when I am gone. But whatever He asks them to face, I want to assure them now that they are God’s beloved children. Hopefully, how I love them in the years ahead will fruitfully model His divine love for each of them.
- Sonya Reeder
Executive Director of Hope Road