“And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing . . . ” Genesis 12:2 (KJV)
As a child I remember my grandparents kneeling by their bed at night, praying aloud in their Quaker way. They prayed for forgiveness and strength for themselves and offered thanks for their children and grandchildren. Now, I realize that their prayer was more than thanksgiving: it was a confidence in blessings to come, grounded in a deep longing to be a solid link in the chain of faithfulness between their parents and generations to follow.
One morning some time ago, I visited my grandmother, who will be 100 this spring. “I love you, honey, and I love your family,” she said to me, holding the face of our younger child close enough to see and kiss him. “Grandmother prays for each one of you by name every day.” Leaving that afternoon, I realized that she just may have prayed for me every day of my life.
Advent is more than waiting. It is trusting in the God whose blessing to Abraham and Sarah remains with us today. The One whose coming we await is a God who promises not only to bless us, but to make each of us a trusted link in the chain of blessing He graciously ordains for generations to come.
God of promise, You have blessed our ancestors. Daily You bless us. Make us Your blessing to those who will follow. Amen.
Chris Wrenn is a elder at Riverside Presbyterian Church. His wife Mary is the church wedding director and he has two sons, Paul and David.
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2 comments:
Wow, Chris. The idea of realizing someone has prayed for you everyday of your life is a really powerful thing to contemplate.
Charles Cooper
Chris-
Thank you so much for many things: for making me realize that not only do I pray for other people, but there are others, especially our beloved grandparents, praying for me..second, for writing on this and giving me a way to keep in touch w/ you all. -Emily Miller
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