Nineteen months old…
She climbs into the old cane-seated chair…
Gives a satisfied sigh at accomplishing something she learned not many weeks before…
Looks around to see who is there to applaud her…
Then reaches for the computer keyboard on the desk.
She presses keys and sings the alphabet song.
Who cares if she she sings “Y” When she presses “G”?
I see a sign of our technology driven times…
A toddler learning to use the computer at the same time she’s learning to talk.
But I see other times…
And other people sitting in that chair…
I see her Great, Great Grandmother…
Who nearly a century ago bought the chair and the “ladies writing desk” that now holds the computer…
She will never know her Great, Great Grandmother...
She will never know about her strong faith in God…
or how she scandalized her small town church by staging plays in Fellowship Hall.
She will not know her Great, Great, Great Grandmother…
Who moved her piano from a grand family home in Ohio to a small frontier cabin in Illinois in the 1800’s and then played the piano for the local church.
She won’t know about her Great, Great, Great Aunt…
Who slept with a pistol nearby and prayed for protection every night because her husband was the first sheriff of the county and they lived in the jail.
She won’t know about her Great, Great Grandfather...
Who, following the admonition to “Love one another” did so many good things for his hometown that fifty years after his death the paper talked about all he had done.
She will know that her parents are strong followers of Christ and believers in God’s Grace…
But unless she’s told, she won’t know that the line of faith did not start with them…
She needs to know.
We all need to know.
In our lives and in her life there will be good times and there will be bad times.
In both of those times we will need to know about the cloud of witnesses that surrounds us…
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
Witnesses who put their faith in God…
And stepped forward in His strength…
Who is in your cloud of witnesses?
Your family needs to know.
Don’t keep it a secret.
Pass it on…
…tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. Psalm 78:4
Note: An earlier version of this story was posted in August 2013
