One of the men who has had an out-sized impact on my life is Kevin Dyer—the founder of International Teams, the mission agency I worked with for nearly 20 years. He is truly a man of God by any definition of that term.
I recently read a devotional Kevin wrote in a new guide he published entitled, Life is Hard but God is With Us. He referred to I Chronicles 12:23, 32 where thousands stood up for David in becoming king over Israel, including the tribe of Issachar which demonstrated unusual unity among their men—“all their relatives followed them.” Kevin then poses the question, “Do you have your family united with you in what you want to do for God?”
As I thought through that question I realized that I don’t know any man for whom that better describes his family than for Kevin. I could write several paragraphs about the ways his two sons and daughter, their spouses, and now their grandchildren are giving their lives to global missions, neighborhood outreach and service to others. Just like Kevin and his wife Eloise always have.
I have long thought there are no guarantees for how anyone’s children will turn out; whether a man or woman’s kids will choose to follow their own faith path. No guarantees. But I believe there are factors that create a favorable environment for children to follow their parents’ faith choices.
One of those factors is a connection with grandparents. I’m convinced that the life-testimony of godly grandparents is one of the most powerful influences in the choices the third generation makes. Godly grandparents pass on a message to grandchildren that parents can’t: This faith is not just what Mom and Dad think and want to convince me of, it is a part of the heritage I’ve received and the legacy I can pass on to the next generation. It’s the Dyer (or Johnson, or Smith) story. “Their relatives followed them.”
I was compelled to tell Kevin that I saw the truth of I Chronicles 12 in his and Eloise’s lives. In response he said, Thanks, but he also passed on some nuggets that are worth passing on to you, with his permission:
1. One of the things we have done every year for 30 years is have special extended prayer times where Eloise and I go through each member of the family and talk about them and their needs and pray for them. We have done this two or three times a year.
2. We believe it is not just talking about our Christian stand but letting our children and grandchildren see us doing things and have them participate with us. They came and helped.
3. It doesn’t mean you are exempt from problems…I thank God for all he has done. It isn’t that we have been smart or faithful but it is the grace of God as we have yielded to Him every step of the way.
Men, there are no guarantees what choices our children will make in life—they have their own minds and convictions. But, if we would like to be a “tribe” like Issachar, or Dyer, where our descendents choose to follow us, one of the most significant factors influencing that is the impact of grandparents.
Not all of us have the gift of godly grandparents, or even parents. BUT if you ARE a grandparent, PLEASE take regular initiative to connect with your grandchildren. If your kids DO have grandparents who are solid, healthy role models, make opportunities where those two generations connect. It forms their heritage.
Just as Scripture tells us about the consequences of family sin, God passes on blessing into the laps of children for 3 and 4 generations. May your tribe increase.
My greatest joy in life is my family. I know, that sounds like the comment you’re supposed to make as a man and father. All I can say is I literally shake my head in wonder at the family I have: my wife Beryl; my daughter Barclay and son-in-law Vince, their four daughters, Bella, Brynn, Brooke and Blake; my son Alec, my son Conor and daughter-in-law Bonnie, their daughter Gemma and son Calvin. Every one of them is a genuine gift. Beyond that, I have a calling that I live out through Peregrine Ministries. It is to help men: Understand their identity in Christ, Embrace their role as men, and Live out their God-given calling in life. Bottom line is I’m convinced men matter and I want to help them live life on purpose.
Comments: 2
As part of the Dyer clan, I just wanted to let you know that it was a blessing to read that. It really blows my mind to think of how much my grandparents and parents have poured into my life, especially through prayer. My siblings and my cousins’ testimonies are the fruit of their labor.
Thinking back, I really am amazed to see how much God protected me and how much grace was on my life, and it is no doubt that it’s because of their prayers. My mom would always pray over us Numbers 6:24-26, “May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He lift up His countenance upon you and give you His peace.” And I really think that those verses have come alive in my life because of her prayers.
I also love what you said about there being factors that create a favorable environment for children to follow their parent’s faith. I’m not sure who originally said it, but this quote gets passed around YWAM that says, “What one generation allows, the next generation embraces.” Here, we often look at that through kind of a global view, but your blog made me think of it through a new perspective… My grandparents and parents had such strong faith that they didn’t allow any compromise and I believe that cultivated an environment for all of us grandchildren to be grounded in such a firm foundation because of their steadfast reliance on the Lord.
So, all that to say, I was really blessed by your blog! I love my parents and grandparents so much and I want them to feel honored and appreciated for all they’ve done, so your blog was amazing! Also want to say that I’m so thankful for your family and all the joy you all have poured into our family now and in the past! I really believe that God will bless you and your “tribe” for the ways you’ve honored ours. Thank you, thank you, thank you 🙂
Love,
Katie
[…] Craig Glass, president of Peregrine Ministries, made this important statement in one of his blog posts: I’m convinced that the life-testimony of godly grandparents is one of the most powerful influences in the choices the third generation makes. Godly grandparents pass on a message to grandchildren that parents can’t: This faith is not just what Mom and Dad think and want to convince me of, it is a part of the heritage I’ve received and the legacy I can pass on to the next generation. (Link to original post) […]