Dear Ones,
Happy weekend and one of blessings. Early this morning we are going to a sale at the Senior Center and tomorrow we will celebrate Mother’s Day with our daughter and son-in-law at the lake.  We plan to stop to see Susan on the way to church in Hackensack. It’s been so long since I have seen her and she has made a good recovery after her surgery.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
What kind of legacy do we want to leave behind for our children and grandchildren? It is a question Al and I often ponder personally along with those in our Bible study class. Although it is Mother’s Day tomorrow, I want to address this devotional to both men and women, for even if you are not a parent, you are influencing the lives of young people around you. I can think of our friend who is a librarian and deals with children every day. Her caring influence can make a difference in a child for life.
Of course, we are anything but perfect examples, but what would we want others to remember of us? What values do we want those after us to embrace? Many children today are being raised in homes with an absent mother or father that are often too busy to see their needs. One woman shared in Bible Study how when growing up, she asked God why she was put in such a dysfunctional home. Why couldn’t she have a good family like other kids?  In such instances God may use others outside the family that care and come alongside to influence for good. The Body of Christ should be such a place, for in Jer. 30:17 we have God’s promise, “For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord.”
Let us remember those who touched our lives and showed us the way of faith and love. I would like to share a prayer from Just Between Us magazine not just for mothers, but for both men and women. “Lord thank you for those who’ve shaped my faith—those who prayed for me, taught me, walked beside me, and helped me to grow. Help me to be one of those men and women. Let my words, actions, and love reflect Your heart. I may never know the full impact of what I plant, but I trust You to grow it. Teach me to live faithfully and love well—for Your glory and for their good. Amen.”
Challenge for today: Write down three faith-building qualities you want to pass on and ask God for help in living them out.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy