Generational Impact

We laid Omi to rest on Thursday. Her life reminded me that her sacrifice, her courage and her determination contributed significantly to the quality of life my family and I enjoy today. Author Kris Vallotton reminds us that the ceiling of our forefathers accomplishments becomes the foundation for our lives. In other words, we start where they left off. This is definitely the case with my grandmother. She had to be courageous to deal with dangerous travel conditions in leading her family out of communist Russia. I will always be grateful for what she handed down to the generations that follow. She passed on determination, faith, courage and a willingness to risk for the things she believed to be important. Her death has also given me a renewed appreciation for my responsibility as a father and the generational impact of my decisions in life, faith and family.

As I prepare to preach on the question, "Why do I exist" this weekend I have a new sensitivity to the reality that the answer to this question is not personal. As we discover the reasons for our existence we will also discover the butterfly affect that is already at play through our lives. We think that fulfillment in life is a personal quest, it is not. It is a communal quest because our fulfillment is lived out within community. We have an obligation to each other--we give and we receive if we are willing to really live.

The Bible tells us that the sins of our fathers impact us to the third and fourth generation but the blessings go on for a thousand generations. What a gift to be able to recognise and deal with the sins of our fathers when, often all the people involved are still alive. Existence, really living is found in dealing with sins of our fathers and living the blessings of our fathers as God takes us to new heights built on the foundation of our inheritance.

Existence, then is appreciating the generational legacy that we have received and that we pass on whether we realise it or not. We can be foolish and ignore our past or we can draw from the strength of our past. You choose.