With my grandchildren in two states, 750 miles apart, I don’t get to enjoy them together more than once or twice a year. But whenever they are together—even if I’m not present—the order of the day is “Get a picture of all four boys!”
Well, at first there were only three.
Then there were four. Here they are last summer, all recovering from a stomach bug at the beach.
And recently the cousins wowed Savannah—they were even color coordinated!
Yes, I love being a grandmother! [UPDATE: Now there are FIVE grandboys!!! Quite an adventure for this mom of two girls!]
Each Sunday afternoon I make certain I’ve got enticing lunch choices and “special treats” for the Reed, who comes here on Mondays. And in between trips to Savannah, I stash surprises to mail the other three.
We’ve got a stockpile of toys and books in several places around the house, and a little chest of drawers and a toddler bed in the back room.
And a trampoline in the backyard.
And a sandbox. And a water table.
And a climbing/sliding playset with a swing.
And yesterday we picked up a second-hand train table.
I could go on.
But here’s the thing: the best part of being a grandmother is the opportunity to leave a legacy. A faith legacy. An example of hope and trust in Jesus, set among a thousand memories of unconditional love.
It’s the parents’ responsibility and privilege to nurture faith in their children first, of course. But how wonderful of God to allow grandparents to have our children’s backs, to support and pray and love our children’s children! It’s an opportunity for our faith to grow and we help to grow faith in our grandchildren.
That’s why Mary Manz Simon’s new book appealed to me as soon as I saw it.
Faith Footprints with My Grandchild: 52 Devotions, Activities, and Reflections would make a great Mother’s Day gift for any grandmother who wants to leave a faith legacy. It’s a year of short weekly messages based on Scripture and Mary’s own grandmothering experiences, faith-building activities to do with your grandchild (even faraway ones), and prayers.
There’s also generous space for journaling to respond to prompts like “When I think about my grandchild’s future, I . . .” and “Knowing that my grandchild is a gift from God to our family means . . . .”
Grandmothering can be challenging at times. Mary acknowledges rocky family relationships, resistant grandkids, and every grandmother’s own personal imperfections, and she encourages us all to persevere with faith and grace.
A grandchild is a gift from God, and the time we give a grandchild is a gift we give ourselves, Mary says. God gives us another opportunity to view life through the eyes of a child, and each day becomes new again. We move further along our own faith journey with Jesus as we seek to leave a legacy of faith for our grandchildren.
You can see a sample from the book here.
Faith Footprints with My Grandchild
Broadstreet Publishing
5 x 0.4 x 7 inches, 160 pages
About These Reviews and Recommendations
My career as a children’s book editor, acquisitions editor, and editorial director greatly influences my response to books. I have high standards for text, illustration, book design, and the purpose of a book.
I understand too that parents, grandparents, and others who buy books want and need good value in the books you choose. Your book budget is not unlimited.
I’m not writing these reviews as hype or promotion for fellow author’s books. I do care about helping authors—after all, I am one. I understand the effort authors pour into every book and the hopes they have for each one. The books I recommend, however, I’m choosing because of the merit I see in the book, no other reason.
I want to point you to the best books more than I want to point out books I don’t like, so I won’t be writing negative reviews. If I can’t support a book, I just won’t write about it. At times, however, I may note details or features I would have changed in a book I otherwise recommend. This is to help you make your own decisions about what books are right for your family.
This is such a precious post! Thank you, Diane! (Meant to comment sooner.)