Generations

 Yesterday was an odd day.  I started off at Mums in Hertfordshire then drove up to Yorkshire to my Dads where I went into his empty bungalow for the last time before it is sold and picked up a whole load of stuff which my step mother Marion had set aside for me to take.  A suitcase full of family photos and letters I had written to my Dad over years and years.  Some things from the display cabinet including my grandparent's silver napkin rings and Dad's engraved silver tankard.  Dad's toy soldiers.  And a bag of other stuff Ive yet to explore.

I stayed in a Travelodge in Carlisle last night and decided to start looking through the photographs which was a proper trip down memory lane.  There were quite a few photos of Dad when he was in the army ( national service just after the war I think) and lots of photos of groups of lads and groups of girls none of which had any names on them so I have no idea who they were.  But one of the things in the suitcase of photographs was a small pocket Bible in the front of which was this inscription 

Presented to G E Pearson for good attendance at the Sunday school by his teacher A Hargreaves  Sept 24th / 82

Thats 1882  😃   And G E Pearson is my great grandfather.  The Bible has some pressed leaves amongst the pages and also a fabric badge which appears to be comemorating a Catholic prayer event .

I've also got a family Bible from my Mums side of the family which goes even further back.  So there have been people going to church and Sunday school in my family on both sides going back hundreds of years.  You will have those people in your family too but you might not know about them.

Deuteronomy 7:9 says  

“Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

There have only been five generations between George Pearson and my boys. According to people who investigate these things there are somewhere between 80 and 100 generations between Adam and me.  So we are nowhere near the thousand that God has promised.  Which makes our worries and concerns for the salvation of our children and grandchildren a bit..... well, redundant.   Because sure as anything somewhere in your genealogy there have been people who loved God and kept His commandments.   And even if there were none, then there's you.  And you do.   So your offspring are held within that promise that God will keep both covenant and mercy with them.

And on a practical note - try to tell your kids who's who in the photographs.  And write inscriptions on the inside of Bibles and other books.  Its in these things that the history of friendships and faith in our families is carried forward. 

One Good Thing - I booked a Hawk Walk for the Hamilton family to do in the New Year.  I was treated to this experience by the children I childmind a couple of months ago and it was fantastic.  I think the boys will love spending an hour with Belle the American Hawk, but more than this I really want to support the couple who are running this business as they are so passionate about their birds and so knowledgeable and fun.