Grandpa & Grandma
12 Baskets Full
A Father’s Basket
I have decided to interrupt myself and deviate from my theme for the month to focus on Grandpa and Grandma – for it is said that a grandparent is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend. I have the best memories of my Grandma – even this year’s challenge was inspired by her example. In fact, of all the many gifts my mother gave me, I hold Grandma dearest! It is her godly heritage that still anchors me today. The following true story[1] illustrate just how strong their influence can be.
When a British historian, professor Gordon Rupp, was asked how the church in Russia managed to survive decades of persecution and communist propaganda, she gave an insightful reply. “It’s largely due to Grandparents.” The communists made the big mistake of thinking that because the church was just full of old people, it had not future. Yet, they underestimated the impact of grandparents on their grandchildren. The old Russian grandparents passed on their faith to their grandchildren, and is mainly the reason why the church in Russia is still active and growing.
To further illustrate this truth, I would like to share with you a true story told by Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ.[2]
In the 1930’s, Stalin ordered a purge of all Bibles and all believers in the former Soviet Union. Millions of Bibles were confiscated and multitudes of believers were sent to the gulags. In Stavropol, Russia, this order was carried out with a vengeance.
A few years ago, CoMission ministry, which Campus Crusade for Christ sponsors, sent a team to Stavropol. When their team had difficulties getting Bibles shipped from Moscow, someone mentioned the existence of a warehouse outside of town where these confiscated Bibles had been stored since Stalin’s days.
One member finally got up the courage to ask the officials if the Bibles were still there and could be removed and distributed again to the people of Stavropol. The answer was “Yes”!
The next day the team returned with a truck and several Russian people to help load the Bibles. One helper was a young man, who was a sceptical, hostile, agnostic collegian who had come only for the day’s wages.
As they were loading the Bibles, a team member noticed that the young man had disappeared. Eventually, they found him in a corner of the warehouse weeping. He had slipped away hoping to quietly take a Bible. What he had found shook him to the core.
Inside the first page of the Bible, he had picked up was the handwritten signature of his own grandmother! Out of the many thousands of Bibles still left in the warehouse, he had stolen the one belonging to his grandmother. She had no doubt prayed for him and for her city, and her prayers had followed him. Now this young man’s life had been transformed by the very Bible that his grandmother found so dear.
Let’s get practical!
Excited at the prospect of blessing a rare breed of men, willing to be courageous for the sake of the next generation, these gifts have only one message – THANK YOU, DAD and THANK YOU, GRANDDAD and GRANDMA!
Books & Movies:
When we talked about hobbies last week, I was tempted to mention books, but felt they deserve a category of their own. Whether subject books on topics they find interesting: like the Second World War, a biography of a sports hero, a book full of Dad jokes or a stack of old comic books, trust me – it will be a winner.
A Digital Family Album:
One of our family values is making memories. Translated this means we have lots of photo albums from when the children were younger. On top of that, we have photo albums and home recordings dating back to when we were children – all neatly stacked away in a cupboard. One of the perks for our children is looking at these pictures of when we were small – marvelling at how different we looked, laughing at our fashion and hair styles.
While I know there is real danger that we can lose some of these photos forever, I have not taken action yet. But trust me – blessing Dad or Granddad with a digital version of some of these old pictures, either of when he was a child or dating back to your own childhood, will be your best gift idea yet!
As you enjoy this trip down memory lane, don’t forget to frame a favourite family photo or a photo that holds a special memory in your Dad’s heart. Next time you visit his office, you will find it proudly displayed on his desk or hanging above his nightstand.
Something “Homey”:
Bless your Dad or Granddad with something that he can relax in when at home – whether a sweater, hoodie or knitted jersey. My daughter bought her Dad slippers one Father’s Day and he loves using them around the house. When he wears them, I know he is super relaxed. Whatever it is that will encourage Dad to be comfortable and at home in his own house and routine, will be a blessing to him.
[1] https://sermons.faithlife.com/sermons/125308-thank-god-for-grandparents
[2] https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/his-grandmothers-bible/
