Generational Faith

Something hit me hard the other day. My husband and I were struck with another tragic event in our family. I was home with my daughter and I just couldn't keep myself from crying, so I allowed her to watch her favorite TV show for a few minutes while I started grieving. I collapsed onto the kitchen floor in tears. I thought my 3-year-old wouldn't see me, but she did.

She ran across the living room and into the kitchen. My daughter knelt down on the floor next to me and held me in her arms as she stroked my back. "It'll be okay, Mama. Just take a deep breath, okay? No more tears." She held my face in her hands and kissed my tear-stained cheek. "Want to pray, Mama?" I nodded. So she prayed. "God, please help Mama. Amen."

It amazed me that in my time of need, a small child could provide all that I needed. She comforted my broken heart in the same way I try to comfort her when she falls or has an "owie" or is upset for whatever reason a 3-year-old is upset about. She had learned how to comfort someone because I had comforted her so many times. I never tried to teach her this skill, but she simply followed the example I had set over her lifetime.

This got me thinking about faith. If my daughter sees me reading the Bible daily, will she begin reading the Bible? If we pray together daily or hourly whenever a need or thanksgiving arises, will she begin to pray? If she sees me relying on God, someone who she cannot see, will she come to rely on Him, too?

Children are watching their parents closely. They see what we do and how we live every moment they are with us. And for me, as a stay at home mom, that's every waking moment. Everything I do directly effects how she will grow up, what kind of person she will become, and what types of choices she will make. Families truly are the building blocks of society, and everything we can teach our children to help them grow into faithful and functional members of society is important. Perhaps more important than I've ever truly realized.

I've had an idea for a book series for the past six months or so, but I was unsure if it was something I could tackle. However, after witnessing the way my daughter followed my example, I was convinced I needed to tackle it in God's strength and guidance.

I'm pleased to announce that I will be attempting to write a series throughout America's history that follows a single family lineage through the generations. Readers will be able to witness how a parent's faith, or perhaps lack there of, guides their children's lives and the choices they make when they grow up and have a family of their own. I plan to center each book around a new piece of American history (selfishly, I'm excited to do this so I can learn more about our nation's history for myself!) that will provide a new and exciting conflict for each family to navigate through the eyes of faith.

I've already begun the first book in the series, starting with the roots of our country. However, since I'm planning at this time to enter my book into a writing contest, I cannot reveal any more details.

Stay tuned for more tidbits :)