When we are in the company of younger family members, we often pose questions about school, interests, and summer activities. Favorite subject? College major? What are they reading for fun? What are they doing for the summer? There are so many things about which to ask.
Their answers are interesting to us, having already charted these waters many years ago. It’s fun to hear our grandkids’ stories animated with enthusiasm. I think their excitement is witness to how God’s Spirit energizes us. Sometimes we share anecdotes from our youth that connect with the young person’s story. It’s important not to let our narrative overwhelm the conversation! They’re at the beginning of creating their life story; ours has been under construction for some time.
“… Unless the LORD build the house,
they labor in vain who build …”
(Psalm 127:1)
Our grandkids’ interests include research, engineering, and architecture. Pursuing our interests is an exploration. There is much we don’t yet know. As life unfolds, we often discover new directions that delight us – perhaps in fields we never knew existed. People change jobs, careers, and college majors. What we enjoy reading evolves, and we cultivate new hobbies.
In addition to “what” questions, it’s fun to ask “how” questions. How did their plan come together? How did a particular experience affect them?
I believe God’s grace guides us through how we learn from what happens to us, what interests us, how we want to be.
We often ask the people in our lives, even casual acquaintances, “how are you?” We are open to learning about their wellbeing. We might get a “fine” response or a more detailed reply. In any event, we have communicated care about the person with our sincere inquiry.
I suspect that the closest companions of Jesus during His public ministry were sensitive to His wellbeing, whether He was tired, hungry, frustrated, or delighted.
We care about the people from whom we learn, who listen to our stories and encourage our interests. They are our advocates and teachers. It is, I believe, God’s Spirit at work.
The gospels contain many instances of people asking Jesus for what they needed from Him. It might be interesting for us in our family prayer to consider what He needs from us.
“How can I repay the LORD
for all the great good done for me?”
(Psalm 116:12)
We might ask the Lord how we can serve Him? How we can trust Him to guide our story? After which, we can also ask Him, “How are we doing?”