A baby named "Rosie"

In my last post I shared my thoughts on praying for my grandchildren. This morning I am praying for my great-grandchildren. Specifically my great-granddaughter. Her name is (or will be) Rosie. Her mother, Allyson, is 3 years old.

Allyson, along with her brother, is visiting us for two days and two nights (she told her mommy she wished it could be 5). As you can imagine, Tim and I are smiling inside and out. Anyway, soon after we heard Ally's feet running down the hall after her night of sleep, she informed us very matter-of-factly, "When I grow up I'm going to be a teacher of little children and I'm going to have a baby in my belly and her name is Rosie".

Rosie is who Psalm 78 is referring to: "....He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn."

The likelihood is, I will not have much face to face, hands on connection with Rosie. Most likely Ally will live farther away than she does now, and most likely Ally will have in-laws, and another church and a wide circle of friends and ministry. Where will I find my connection with her? I can pray for her now and if I'm alive when Rosie is born I will continue to pray, and send her notes, make calls and see her at large family gathering once or twice a year.

One thing I am going pray for is for the Lord to bring into Rosie's life a number of godly older men and women who will invest in her generation. As Tim said yesterday in his message, this is what many did for our children and we owe them a debt we can never repay.

Tim and I did not have our parents nearby. Both sets of parents lived at least seven hours away. This meant we only saw our parents (our children's grandparents) only a couple of times a year, sometimes less.

We didn't have their help, we didn't have their homes to pop into, we didn't have ready babysitters. But more importantly our children didn't have their example to observe up close. Our children didn't have the blessing of watching their grandparents live life within the church, and in their community.

But what our children did have was a Church. The Household of faith. The Family of God. The Body of Christ. I am so thankful for those who invested their lives in our children. I am so thankful for the singles who took more than a polite interest in the kids. Where would my children be today without those who taught them in Sunday School, and youth group? I am so thankful for those who now speak to my 14 year old with a word of encouragement, or care. I am so thankful when I hear my children inspired by an adult because of their burden for the lost, or missions or who demonstrate servant-love for their family or church. I am so thankful when my children are dazzled by God when they hear conversion stories.

This is how I'm praying for Rosie. Oh may the church, her church, be for Rosie what my children's church has been for them.