I am the firstborn son of two firstborn children. I got married when I was 20 and my wife and I started having children shortly thereafter. My kids have the incredible opportunity to know all of their great grandparents.
Now, there aren’t many heirlooms in my family other than photographs. There are no family rings to be passed down. There are no pocket watches or anything like that. That’s perfectly fine with me because I’m not really a materially sentimental person.
One thing that has been passed down through my family has been faith. I was lucky enough to grow up in church, just as my parents did. It wasn’t just any church either. I grew up in a Protestant church in a heavily Catholic southern Louisiana bayou town. My faith had the potential to look so much different than it does today. I’m grateful for God’s work in the lives of my parents and grandparents.
The more I read the Old Testament, the more interesting I find all the mentions of heritage and things being passed down. Psalms 103:15-18 says,
“As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field; when the wind passes over it, it vanishes, and its place is no longer known. But from eternity to eternity the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear him, and his righteousness toward the grandchildren of those who keep his covenant, who remember to observe his precepts.”
This year for Christmas, I want to give my family something that I can one day give to my kids. I can’t think of a better heirloom to pass down than a Bible that has been journaled through by generations.
Rather than giving another gift card or knick-knack, consider helping your family share the legacy of their faith. There are many Bibles that have a journaling or note-taking component, but Replicate just partnered with LifeWay to develop the Disciple’s Bible. It is designed to help you journal through 260 key readings over the course of the year. It may the perfect way to help your family share their faith legacy.
Regardless of method, Christmas is the perfect time to focus on your family’s heritage of faith. My prayer is that we will all embrace the truth of “the Lord’s faithful love” this season.
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