I have a couple of just plain clear glass bowls in my kitchen that I use almost daily. When I need to mix up some scrambled eggs, I use one of those bowls. When I am chicken frying steak, I use one of those bowls for my egg dip. When I need to mix dry ingredients to mix when making a cake or brownies, yep. I use one of those bowls. They are pretty handy. I got them when Mike’s grandmother died lots of years ago. His mother’s mom. So, they are special to me also.

As I was washing one of those bowls today, I thought about MawMaw and how long she might have had them before I got them. I have no clue. I do know, she has been gone since 1989, and I am sure she had them long before then. But what I was thinking about today was when she bought those bowls, she had no clue that one day her great-great-grandchildren would be eating food made in those bowls. She had no way of knowing that three generations later, her own family would still be benefitting from those bowls. But we are.

This is a great illustration of how we pass things down from generation to generation. I have talked before about how my daddy had a note in one of his books that had the words from his so many greats grandfather’s will that talked about how he had put his trust in Jesus and that was one thing he wanted to pass down through the generations.  That was in the 1700s.The most important thing we can pass down to each generation is a faith and trust in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Of course each person has to make the decision to accept Him for themselves, but as parents, grandparents, great-grandparents we have to be ready to pass that knowledge of Him down to our families.

Mike and I were very blessed that both of our parents knew Jesus. All of our grandparents knew Jesus. In fact Mike’s Kelly grandparents both shared with me their stories of salvation. Her’s when she was a young teenager and Denver’s when he was a grown man with a family, thanks to a great neighbor down the road that took the time to talk with him about changes he needed to make in his life.

The legacy we leave for our children is so very important. The lessons we teach our children by our words, but more by our actions is so very important. There is so much we just should not be relying on the world to teach our children. The best lessons are taught at home.

No, MawMaw had no idea that those bowls would be used for generations, and she might not have known that her faith legacy would also live on, but it did and it does and it will continue on for generations to come.

Teach your children about Jesus. That is the best inheritance you can leave them. It is the only inheritance that will last for eternity. It makes a difference!

By: Gina Caswell Kelly