The gift I have been given - A tribute to my Parents and Grandparents

This morning God has filled my heart afresh with thankfulness for my salvation. Jesus lived the perfect life I could not live and stood in my place, taking on my sinfulness and enduring the punishment of death that I deserve, so that I can be reconciled to God in his perfect holiness. And then God showed that he accepted Jesus as my substitute when he raised him from the dead. What a gift I have been given, first that this even took place, and second that I believe it. Would I even believe this if my parents hadn't told me of this glorious truth from the time I was very small? Would they have believed it if their parents hadn't done the same for them? These thoughts have given rise to an overwhelming gratefulness for the faithfulness of those that came before me. Their faithfulness has blessed me in ways that have eternal significance. Their love for the gospel has transfered to me the gift of greatest important - my salvation.

Mom and Dad - My words cannot convey to you the joy in my heart that your faithful adherence to the word of God has endowed. You have raised children who are not simply moral people, but who understand that their sin is an affront to the holy God, who have trusted in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, and who strive to serve him by his grace. I am blessed beyond measure because your words have always been backed up by your lives. Your humble dependence on God for your salvation and your very lives has and will continue to have reverberations in the generations that follow you. You have honored your own parents by obeying them and following them in service to God's kingdom. You have been instruments in God's unstoppable work of salvation in my life - and the lives of those you serve. There is no higher commendation that you can receive. Thank you.

To my Grandma and Grandpa Lyman, and Mimi and Papa Fields - How can I ever thank you for your many years of humble submission to God's word? How can I ever thank you for your faithful obedience to God's command to raise up your children in the fear and knowledge of him? Because you did these things - and still continue in faithfulness to this day - the glorious gospel has gone out and effected the hearts of the generations that have come after you. I am the recipient of an inheritance worth more than all the earth's riches. I am the heir to a heritage of humility, sacrifice, and service that outlasts all the great family names of this world because it has eternal worth! When you preached the gospel to your children, God honored your obedience and granted them repentance of their sins. This enabled them to preach it to me, and in God's great mercy I have repented of my sin and will live forever in his presence. When you stand before God one day, you will hear him say "Well done, good and faithful servant." And we will all give him the glory for your faithful acts in this life. Thank you.

I am a part of the 4th generation of those who serve God in his church and who are a blessing to the world around us. My siblings, cousins, and I (and our spouses) will stand on the firm rock of Christ because you all have exhibited it in your own lives. As we bring forth what will be, by God's mercy, the 5th generation of those who love God and his gospel, may we see his great promise come to fruition - "...that my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations." Isaiah 51:8

I love you.