What to Do for the Rest of ’22
What to do for the rest of ‘22
It’s hard to believe but nearly 60% of 2022 is behind us. Where has the time gone? “Time flies over us”, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote, “but leaves its shadow behind.” For us, the activity we produce in the context of time contributes to our legacy as grandparents. Entrepreneur, Michael Altshuler says, “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot!” As a grandparent we determine the value we invest in the time God gives us this year.
As a grandparent wanting to be more intentional with their grandchildren, here are five suggestions one might consider doing the last five months of 2022.
1. Share with your grandchildren what the Lord has been teaching us in His Word.
From the pen of Asaph God’s words arrest our attention:
“God gave his Law to Jacob’s descendants, the people of Israel. And he told our ancestors to teach their children, so that each new generation would know his Law and tell it to the next. Then they would trust God and obey his teachings, without forgetting anything God had done” (Psalm 78:5-7 CEV).
Being an intentional grandparent means speaking God’s truth into the lives of our grandchildren. There are experiences we have had; occasions when God has intervened in supernatural ways that need to be shared. Our grandchildren need to hear about these things because they will experience similar occurrences. In those occasions they will need to know from what their grandparents have shared; they can be confident the Lord will provide.
2. Put yourself in places you can experience personal life-change.
This reality was evident in the lives of first century Christians. In the book of Acts we read:
“Those who accepted his (Peter’s) message were baptized. About 3,000 people joined the believers that day. The believers studied what the apostles taught. They shared their lives together. They ate and prayed together” (Acts 2:41, 42 – NIRV).
Pastor Andy Stanley has said, “Life change happens best in circles, not rows.” In other words, going to church services is a vital part of a healthy Christian life. But being involved in a small group is vital to spiritual growth. It can be a place where we make ourselves accountable for the ways we apply God’s truth to our lives. Our grandchildren need to see that our faith is living and active in us.
The word “church” (Greek – ekklesia) means ‘called-out ones.’ Church people are folk who come aside from the routine of life and gather for the purpose of praying, learning, eating, and fellowshipping together. It is in these gatherings that life-change takes place. It is a practice that Christians are drawn to and make time for. Our grandchildren need to know it is a priority for us.
3. Choose to be benevolent in tense conversations.
B. Phillips paraphrases Ephesians 4:31, 32 like this:
“Let there be no more resentment, no more anger or temper, no more violent self-assertiveness, no more slander and no more malicious remarks, Be kind to each other, be understanding. Be as ready to forgive others as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)
For the purpose of being with non-believers my wife Carolyn took a job at a local sandwich shop. She stands behind the counter to take orders from the customers. There she has met some wonderful people. She also interacts with very demanding individuals. They get terribly upset when their order is not to their liking. It is a place where kindness of Jesus is needed.
Our grandchildren need to know that nana and papa know how to be gracious to people who are short on kindness. There is a spirit of meanness that pervades our culture these days. People who know how to control their temper can be effective testimonies in a pagan world.
4. Find ways to relax.
In the book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, the author, John Mark Comer writes, “Hurry is violence on the soul.” Americans govern their activity by their calendars and watches. Teaching Bible in the West Africa country of Sierra Leone, I was to see how driven I make myself. We ascribe value to ourselves by how full we can fill our schedule. Our grandchildren need to see us as people motivated by relationship with God and people not hurry.
For the rest of 2022, let’s let our grandchildren see us as people who regularly respond to our Lord’s invitation:
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls’” Matthew 11:28, 29 – The Living Bible).
We ought to consider the possibility that we yoke ourselves at times with activity the Lord has not willed for us. Robert Murray McCheyne was a nineteenth-century preacher who graduated from Edinburgh University in 1827. He was 14. Nine years later he was pastoring a Presbyterian Church of over 1000 people. He literally worked himself to poor health and eventually death. He died at age 29. McCheyne wrote in his diary, “God gave me a message to deliver and a horse to ride. Alas, I have killed the horse and now I cannot deliver the message.”
In the next 5 months, purpose to relax.
5. Pray for opportunities to talk about Jesus.
Make your faith obvious the remainder of 2022. Let it emerge when you are in public with your grandchildren. There was something different about the disciples in their day. Dr. Luke tells us about the hard-driving Apostles, Peter and John in the book of Acts:
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 – KJV).
Every morning lets arise into the day with a prayer, “Lord, make me aware of people I will meet today who need You.” When you receive your food at the restaurant, may I suggest you say to your server, “We are about to pray for our food. As we pray is there anything in your life we can pray for?” Some will decline your offer in obvious discomfort. Often a server will share a request. There have been times the person will break out into sobs as they share something heavy on their hearts. Be prepared for anything.
So, forty percent of 2022 is left to invest in our grandchildren. That means you and I as the pilots, will decide the activity that will fill this 22 week, 154-day vacuum before us.
