Andy Palfreyman came along to our diocesan Faithful Generations events back in February. In this blog, he shares his key takeaways from the event, and reflects on why grandparents have such an important role in bringing their grandchildren closer to God.
“Name three things which give you the greatest pleasure in life. If you are as old as me, and have been blessed as I have, then I would almost guarantee that one of the three answers will be to spend time with grandchildren (it may even be first on the list). And a real joy, if you are lucky enough, is that on occasion they come to church with you.
“Hoping that our grandchildren will grow up in the love of God is something which we all pray for. But can we do more than pray? To help us to answer that question, our diocese ran two events under the heading of Faithful Generations. The events were full of good common sense which confirmed many of the things we already (hopefully) do to help our kids along their faith journeys. If you weren’t able to attend the events, I hope that the following helps as a reminder of the role of grandparents in bringing our kids to God.
- You set the example: you go to church, you pray, you talk openly about God, and you follow Christian principles. Show them that God is our friend.
- Provide a solid base: be reliable and steady. The world can be a chaotic place so make sure that you provide stability in their life. Be prepared to listen to their problems without judging.
- Be available: have time for them, be a source of social and emotional support, big and little things can matter when you’re, finding your way in the world.
- Keep in contact: send them the occasional message, tell them that you are praying for them, be curious about what’s happening in their world. Social media does have its faults by it’s great for saying “How are you?” or “I love you”. Tell them how they bless your world.
- Tell them about your family: children love to know about their history because it anchors them in the world. Tell them their family history.
“When you look at the list above, does it remind you of a man who looked after his flock, his disciples, his children? I hope so.
“And by the way, this isn’t just about us old folk wanting to interfere in our children’s lives. Scientific tests (yes, scientific tests) have revealed that children who have a good relationship with the grandparents are more resilient, grounded, and have better mental health than those who don’t. So keep up the good work, and show our grandchildren the way.”
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