This last year my parents moved my grandma into a nursing home. It has not been until the last couple of years that I have felt and seen a huge generational shift. When I was growing up the order went: my grandparents, then my parents, and then us kids. Grandma and Grandpa made the Turkey, Ham, casseroles, whatever the main course for whatever we happened to be celebrating. Then my parents and their siblings would bring the side dishes. Us kids were left to haul everything in, out, up, down, or wherever something needed to be moved. The adults sat at the dinning room table, us kids sat downstairs in my grandparents basement (which us kids thought was the greatest thing ever).
This year however, holidays have been at my house. I made my first ham this year in the roaster, which is traditionally what my family uses to cook the huge holiday hams and turkeys. I made the ham, while my sisters and parents brought the sides. While grandma looked on with a look that said I’m glad they’re doing that and not me.
The shift has happened. My parents have moved into the rolls of my grandma and grandpa, I have moved into the roll of my parents, and my kids now play the fun roll I had as a child with get together. Now, it’s me who calls my mom at 10pm asking questions about the Ham I am suppose to get up and put in the roaster at 4am. Not getting up at 4am would assure that we would not be eating at the traditional 12 O’clock lunch bell.
I am the parent who is suppose to know how to sew a dolls arm back on, pop the wheel back on the tractor. I am the parent who is suppose to know which band aid goes on which owie and kisses the pain away. I am the one who is now suppose to have the answers.
The shift has happened. I feel and understand 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
As I ponder the role of being an adult it makes me stand back and look at my life, look at what I know and how I got to know, what I know. I ponder what do I want to place in my kid’s lives that they will take with them into adulthood. When it is time for them to plant a garden on their own for the first time, will they know how to do it? When my kid’s welcome their first baby into the world will they be equipped to know how to be gentle, how to love unselfishly. I think what is the legacy I want to set today, so that they will be ready in the future. Today makes a big difference for my kid’s tomorrow. Have I shown them Jesus, have I lived a life of reading my bible, showing my kids through action that the word of God truly is important? Showing them it’s important by a daily quiet time in the word and prayer? Have I shown my kids that God is the great provider by praying for our needs and the needs of others. Pointing out when God has provided for us or someone else. I remember a quote that says something like, kids learn more by watching than my hearing.
I have officially entered adulthood and I pray my life points others to Christ. For Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. No one will go to the father unless through Christ (John 14:6). There is no other way into heaven other than Christ Jesus and the bible says we must confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord. So we must speak with our mouth, words must come from our lips that Jesus is Lord and has paid the ransom for our sin with His blood! Jesus paid it all! As an adult I praise and worship God knowing that he has saved me from hell and from separation from Him.
As wife, mommy, sister, daughter, and friend I rest with confidence “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Amen, Amen!