Serving Others ~

Everybody can be great. . . because anybody can serve.
You don't have to have a college degree to serve. . . .
You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

I began to think the other day about service and service to others. Do I do enough? Am I serving to my full potential? How can I do more, and most importantly how can I help B&B and teach my grandchildren about Godly service?

I can teach, and most importantly show, that I serve God by serving others. My actions show that my faith is real . Servant hood is the key to helping develop my grandchildren into strong, service minded young adults.

When I serve others I am reminded that nothing in this life lasts as long as the bonds we form with other people, and there's no better way to connect ourselves to others than by working together for our common good.

Jesus Christ said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). This doesn't mean I have to die to show my love for my friends. I lay down my life every time I put someone else's needs before my own. The “friends” mentioned in the scripture above can be understood to be everyone we meet, since Jesus also commanded us to “love one another.”

Because everything I have comes from God, I should be willing to share it all anyway. I don’t have to look far to find opportunities to donate my time and energy. The beauty of following Christ's example is that I don't need to evaluate who, when or how I serve, I should just act. Service can be planned or spontaneous, for someone I know or a stranger. I should not look for recognition, I receive no reward, and my only motivation should be love. My prayer is that by my actions I can be an example that my grandchildren will want to aspire to model.  Again, by serving others, we serve God.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." - I Peter 4:10

Train Up A Child ~

My son is now a parent of two, a role I have cherished since both my own little bundles came into the world. I worked hard over the years to be the best I could be. I researched best parenting practices and stayed abreast of new developments in medicine, safety, nutrition, and education for young children and teens. I felt I was well-informed and capable. I felt Greg and I were good parents.

So why wouldn't my son want to take advantage of all that wonderful experience? After all, Greg and I raised our own children, and they turned out great. Imagine how much help we could be with our new grandchildren!

NO thanks!..B&B are doing a great job, why would we want to interfere?

We want to instill confidence, not our own way of doing things.  ~ I remember the days right after B was born? They were exciting, but a little scary. I wanted to do everything right. Was he gaining enough weight? Was the pacifier going to give him an overbite? Should he learn to walk barefoot or in shoes? Should I breastfeed or not? When should I begin to potty train? A few decades ago, experts were split on many of these issues. Ultimately, we had to make our own decisions and hope they were good ones. It took time to build confidence. Unsolicited advice muddies the waters and just makes it more difficult. B&B have to build confidence in their parenting skills, too. They have to learn to trust their own decisions, just like we did. (And by the way, they are doing a fantastic job!!)

B&B may decide to raise their children differently than we raised ours. ~ B&B are more relaxed than I was. Many are waiting longer to begin potty training. Children are often encouraged to participate in decisions about food and clothing choices. Both parents may decide to work outside the home. I won’t take offense if B&B makes different parenting choices than I did.

Advice will be most welcome when sought, not offered. ~ Sooner or later, they may want a second opinion from someone they trust. I believe that if we have provided loving support without meddling, that they might come to me or Greg for advice.

Relax, and pat myself on the back!  ~ Greg and I raised two great boys. We worked hard and taught them well. I trust B&B to make good, informed decisions for their children, while we get to sit back and relish the joys of simply being a grandparent. Congratulations! I think we have earned it.