Proverbs 17:6
Now
that I have grandchildren, my heart is full. The joy they bring is immeasurable.
I am not saying that my heart wasn’t full when I had my own children, but that
my heart has grown.
Our
proverb states that grandchildren are a crown to the aged. Grandchildren in
that culture would have been rare. People generally didn’t live long enough to
see their children have children. So grandchildren meant that the oldest
generation did lots of things correctly. They had enough resources to provide
the basics of life. Their children didn’t starve or die of disease. They had to
have provided a safe place to live and enough of a nourishing environment that
the children didn’t move far away to get away from their parents. Not easy
tasks.
On
the flip side of the coin, children can be proud of their parents. There can be
mutual respect and caring. But more than that, children can actually appreciate
what their parents provided for them as they were growing up. How often does
that happen today? Certainly not enough!
I
am getting ready to make a shift in career. I have served the last sixteen
years with one organization. I am ready to make a shift and change locations. I
recently was offered a position with an organization making over 70k. I turned
it down. My wife and I are making a commitment to be more involved in our
grandchildren’s lives. We are moving closer. We could have chosen to be many
places, but we chose close to them. We are making a commitment to the next
generations.
It
feels strange to turn down such a great job in Pensacola, FL, but it is the
right thing for us. Hopefully it is the right thing for our children and
grandchildren. Maybe I will get to see my great grandchildren!