I’m a grandma. I have been for the last seven months. It still surprises me and excites me. I didn’t know how much joy a new little one would bring into our lives. I didn’t know how just the thought of her would bring a great big smile to my face. I didn’t know I would have over 1,700 pictures of her short life on my phone. (I’d gladly show you a picture if you ask or even if you don’t. 😊) I didn’t know how many miles we would travel monthly just to have playdates. I didn’t know how exciting it would be to see things for the first time again through her eyes. I didn’t know how seeing your children as parents would make you love them even more. I didn’t know how the appreciation for everything that God has blessed us with could grow deeper. I didn’t know that my prayers would change. I didn’t know that this little precious soul would push me to be more focused on Jesus. I didn’t know that adding the name Grammy would change so much in my life.

I now know and am so very thankful for all of it. It seems silly to say it because we all know God does everything right and every word of His Word is right. I don’t know how else to say it other than God got it perfectly right in Proverbs 17:6 when He had the wise man write “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.”

Grandchildren are the crown, not a physical crown, although we do lift them up high and make them a priority in our lives. I’m constantly drawn towards the baby clothes, thinking about places to take her, and all of the new fun experiences we can have together. In all of the joy we find in having them as a crown, we need to lift them up in love, in faith, and in the Lord so they too will have a crown (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

Lois was the grandmother of Timothy (2 Timothy 1:5). We don’t read of her giving him clothes, toys, cookies, or going on outings. She could have, but what is recorded for us is the sincere faith that she had which she passed down to his mom and to him. Our grandchildren need much more from us than just physical things. They need to know about all of the spiritual things. They need to know about the sun, moon, trees, and flowers, but they also need to know Who created them (Genesis 1:11-19). They need to know about cows, monkeys, and the sounds they make, but they also need to know Who gave them to us (Genesis 1:25-26). They need to know where their eyes and noses are, but they also need to know they are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:13-14). They need food and a sweet cookie, but they also need to know about the sweet words of God (Psalm 119:103). They need to know we love them, but they also need to know that God and Jesus love them (John 3:16; Romans 8:35-39).

Our grandchildren have so much to learn and we as grandparents can teach them so much by speaking about God (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), by living for God (Romans 12:1-2), by loving them how God loves us (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) Our grandchildren are precious little souls who give us so much and we, as grandparents, have so much to give them!

By: Kristina Odom