Picture Week: What a Joy

If you did not know it yet, let me share this with you: by and large, life is hard... but what joy God gives to us in our kids and grandkids.

Picture Week: What a Joy

"Children's children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father."

(Proverbs 17:6)

Every day this week, I will share with you a recent picture I have taken and write about it. Hopefully these devotions will provide some helpful lessons on life that will empower you and help you better serve God and others.

Here is the first picture:

I am sitting with four of our nine grandchildren (yes, nine)! Pictured here are our newest grandchild, Jude, then L.J., Macie (not too happy at the moment), and Claire. (Those not pictured are Bella, Tabor, Miller, Riley, and Callie). My wife Ashley and I dearly love our three kids, who are no longer kids but are all in their 30s. And let me say, we dearly love those grandbabies! If you are a grandparent, you know what I am talking about.

I was talking with my chiropractor a couple of weeks back and congratulated him and his wife on their first grandchild. Then I told him that something amazing is going to happen. That grandchild will love you before you have done anything to deserve that love. That is just the way it is. But knowing this couple, they are going to bless their grandkids.

I title today's devotion "What a Joy" because these little people give me so much joy in life. If you did not know it yet, let me share this with you: by and large, life is hard. Of course you know that, but what joy God gives to us in our kids and grandkids. Ashley and I enjoy spending as much time as we can with them. Tabor and Miller live in Arkansas, so we do not get to visit with them as often. But hurray for Facetime! We Facetime each other a few times a week.

I joke with people when I say, "When we started having grandkids, I lost my wife and my wallet!" (IYKYK) My wife spends a lot of time with the grandkids and helps with babysitting frequently. My wife loves to bless those littles with gifts and snacks. Every time L.J. sees us, he asks for his snacks. Such a blessing, we love it.

The Bible says in Proverbs 13:22, "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous." One of the things Ashley and I do is contribute every month to each grandchild's education fund (529 Plan). The goal is to give a little every month for 18 years to help them on their way to a college education or trade school, or whatever they choose.

I pray this prayer every day (and I mean every day) for my grandkids: that they come to know Jesus at an early age and serve Him all their days; they would be virgins when they get married and marry virgins; and I ask God to bless their future spouses and their future spouses' families.

What a blessing from God it is to be a grandparent!