Imagine with me for just a moment, it’s Christmas day, and the presents are all neatly wrapped under the tree. When it comes to your turn to receive a gift, you are handed a small, book-shaped box that feels about as light as a feather. You’re pretty sure that someone is trying to prank you because everyone is eager for you to open it and see what’s inside.
As you unwrap and open the gift, you realize that it is nothing more than a few pieces of old wrinkly paper, color-worn with age. And you notice that this is a carefully hand-written note. As you begin to read it, you quickly begin to understand that this is a gift from someone you’ve never met before.
In fact, someone you’d only seen pictures of. This is a letter of love from a grandparent or great-grandparent who has since long passed away, and yet, here they are, in written form, speaking words of truth and value and love into your life.
Powerful. Inspiring. Sentimental.
How would you feel finding something hand-written by a long-lost relative… or reading such a letter written to you? Do you think that would be a special moment? Don’t you think you would cherish that letter forever?
Let’s be very honest, most of us probably don’t have such a letter but would love to.
What would it take for your grandchildren, great-grandchildren, or even great-great-grandchildren to have something as a gift from you that could be passed down through generations? I know what it would take:
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It would take some thought.
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It would take some intentionality.
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It would take some planning.
But oh, how “worth it” it could be if you were successful.
I love this quote by Neil Postman when he said, “Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” And how cool it would be if we could also speak into the lives of children in our family tree that we may never have the opportunity to personally meet!
What could you do today or during this special season that could potentially impact generations to come tomorrow? I don’t know for sure what it is that you need to do, but hopefully reading this will get your imagination wheels spinning. Whatever it is you think of, I believe in you… and I know that someone in the future will thank you.
(The initial thought behind this article was sparked from a simple idea that someone shared on a podcast I listened to many months ago.)
