Blessing your grandkids

Heads up, grandparents. There is something quite major for you to do after you read this article.

Last month I was asked to present the chapel talk at the Lutheran school in Michigan where four of our grandkids are students. It was Grandparents Day, and I was asked because I’m a grandpa.

I wanted to have a message that would relate to the kids, and I dedicated the first part of my talk to them with an “object lesson.” But I really wanted to touch the hearts of the grandparents with a message that would mean something to them and stick with them after I sat down.

To the glory of God, I believe I was able to accomplish that mission. Here’s what I said and did.

As we count our blessings from God, the greatest blessing from Him is that He sent His only son, Jesus Christ, into the world to live the perfect life, die on the cross to forgive us all of our sins, rose again that we too might have eternal life, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, with His Holy Spirit now touching and leading us all the days of our life here on earth.

Wow. Amen. That is The Gospel. The Good News.

Now, having received that best of all blessings, we are called to pass that blessing on to others.

We go back to the Old Testament and the story of God calling Abraham to be the father of a great nation. In Genesis, chapter 12, we hear God say to Abraham that he was blessed to bless others. God told Abraham to bless his family, and he did, so that they might pass the blessing on.

With that, we know blessing our family is very important, where one generation in the family blesses a younger generation.

One example of that comes in Genesis, chapter 48, where Joseph brings his sons to be blessed by his father Jacob. So, Jacob was blessing his grandchildren.

That is key for us on this Grandparents Day.

Let’s think about what a Blessing from a grandparent to a grandchild looks like and sounds like.

5 KEY ELEMENTS of grandparents blessing your grandkids:

1.      It’s a big deal. Very important. Of great value. It has tremendous spiritual significance.

2.       It states great affirmations. God has made you so special, given you great gifts, talents, skills. You are precious to God. You are precious to me/us. God loves you. We love you.

3.       This kind of Blessing carries a prophesy. Not wild guesses and predictions, but the sure conviction that God is with you and will be with you throughout your entire life. This is stating that God will be faithful. And that His Love never fails. God’s power and presence will show itself throughout your life. You can count on God for strength, forgiveness, and wisdom. This kind of Blessing declares that Christ dwells in your heart and always will.

4.      This Blessing is intentional, is rather formal, is spoken (not implied), is centered in the blessing of Jesus, meaningful, perhaps even emotional, and that’s OK.

5.      It involves laying a Hand of Blessing upon the Blessed one/ones. It imparts the love and claiming power of the grandparent and God into the heart and life of the grandchild.

So, Grandparents, maybe you have given this kind of blessing to your grandchildren. Maybe not.

Well, God has laid on my heart to lead us grandparents to bless our grandchildren on this Grandparents Day.

What a great time. What a great opportunity.

Please don’t be nervous. I’m going to lead us in blessing our grandchildren. Don’t worry that you won’t know what to say. You’ll be repeating after me.

So, grandkids, get close to your grandparents. Grandparents, put your hand or hands on the children’s heads. Kids, please stand very still and look at your grandparents. Grandparents, look into the eyes of your grandkids.

Now, call out the name or names of each grandchild.

And repeat after me.

I bless you today.

You are so special.

To God and to me.

Jesus loves you so much.

And I love you so much.

You are a great kid.

You are so smart

And can do so many things so well.

You are going to have a great life

Because God will always be with you.

Don’t ever think God is not with you.

I bless you today.

The Lord bless you

And keep you.

The Lord make His face to shine upon you

And be gracious to you.

The Lord life up His countenance upon you

and give you His peace.

In the Name of the Father,

And of the Son,

And of the Holy Spirit.

I bless you today.

Amen!

O.K., grandparents having read this far, please take the opportunity to bless your grandkids with these words of blessing, and add any others that come from your heart.

I bet over the holidays you’ll have an excellent opportunity. Don’t miss your chance. And remember to repeat blessing them as often as possible. Believe me, there’s never too much blessing. Amen.