It the next few days my 3rd granddaughter and 10th grandchild will be born. She will come to us as a gift from God, and her parents are anxiously awaiting her arrival. As I look forward to this grand and auspicious occasion, I cannot but help reflect on my role as the grandparent. I will have a very important part to play in her life as I do in the lives of her cousins. When it comes to the grandkids, I am determined to be a positive influence in their lives. They know this as well, so all my grandchildren call me granddad because I am like a dad but only “grand” (bigger and better). Here are a few things that “grand” parents should do.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8)

I recently heard the quote “There is a thin line between love and hate.” But I did not agree with it. I believe that there is more than a thin line between love and hate. To me, they are polar opposites and are as far apart as east and west. Think about this, if a person was in a plane traveling east, even if they continued in that direction for years, they would still be traveling east. They would never intersect with west in this direction.

This past Sunday, we celebrated “Fathers Day.” It is a special day of recognition for the fathers and father figures in our lives. It also serves to highlight the importance that male influence has in the development of young men. As I think on this topic, the quote “like father, like son” comes to mind. This idiom has been around for hundreds of years and it is used when different generations of a family behave in the same way or have the same talents or defects.  It is a reminder that fathers willingly or unwillingly shape the behavior of their son.

Everyone seems to be looking for a few good men. What makes a man good? There was a rich man in the Bible who desired to be good enough to be accepted into God’s kingdom. From the time he was a child, he kept all of the commandments. He came to Jesus seeking to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told to him to sell all he had and give the money to the poor. The young man, surprised by Jesus response, sadly turned and walked away unwilling to submit to the request. This young man believed in his heart that he had done more than enough to (make it in.) Because he was his own standard, he refused to do more.