A Charge

So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel—the Lord’s assembly—I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance. 1 Chronicles 28:8 (NLT)

It's birthday weekend. Actually, I'm in favor of birthday month, but I'm not going to complain. My kids have the double trouble of both Mother's Day and my birthday within a week of each other. That could be a big disadvantage but they do a good job of making sure Mom feels loved and appreciated. As the calendar turns over and year 62 hits, I think back on other birthdays. My mom was great at making my day special with small family celebrations rather than many big parties. Even now, my daughter calls to make sure I have all my meals covered with something fun to do…because we always did that. I endorse family traditions for the stability they add from one generation to another. Having recently read the Old Testament stories from Abraham to David, I noticed that family traits were often passed from one generation to another, even when the patriarch might have preferred to skip a particular one; deception comes to mind when I remember the stories of Jacob and his sons. As a mother and grandmother, I ponder over what I want to pass down to those I love. No one is perfect and even giving it our best shot leaves us vulnerable to failure, at times. However, David's command to his son, Solomon, sums up the best advice–obey all the commands of the Lord your God. Does that sound overwhelming? Maybe, but it is the bottom line and to accomplish it means that we need to be in God's word…reading, meditating, praying, listening, and obeying. Even when the children of Israel blew it, which they often did, God never gave up on them and led them to the Promised Land. This year, my prayer is that my family will stay close to the One who promises blessing and hope for the future...to the third and fourth generation.