Two nights before our son and future daughter-in-law’s wedding we met for a special celebration. We gathered for a meal at her parent’s home to intentionally acknowledge this significant transition in our family. My wife and I had prayed about the specific things we wanted to say and the unique gifts we wanted to give in recognition of the changes taking place in our family. This was a milestone moment to be cherished!
We began by retelling the story of our son’s birth and of how God brought him to us through a series of special circumstances. We highlighted the amazing answers to prayer we experienced and reflected on the joy we felt at his arrival. He was indeed a gift from God! We then reviewed our family history, highlighting some of the most precious memories we had.
Our attention then turned to his bride-to-be. We acknowledged the hand of the Lord in bringing the two of them together and voiced our acceptance of her as God’s choice for our son. We welcomed her with open arms into our hearts and into our family. We acknowledged that our relationship with our son would change in two days and that his primary commitment would shift from us to his wife. We verbally released our son to be joined to her and voiced our commitment to support their union as a couple.
Then we presented the gifts we had prepared for the occasion. Both gifts, one for each of them, represented our rich family heritage. They had been passed down through several generations and symbolized the legacy our son and his wife were receiving. We then laid hands on them and prayed a family blessing over them. It was a precious and powerful moment in our family story, one to be cherished for years to come.
[avatar user=”larryb” size=”medium” align=”left” link=”/author/larryb/”]Larry Ballard[/avatar]
Passing on a godly legacy involves intentionally capturing the milestone events in your family history, such as, in this case, the wedding of our son. There are numerous events that are legacy-producing moments, such as birthdays, graduations, and weddings. Be proactive. Don’t let these events just come and go without highlighting them. Take advantage of them. Ask God to show you how to make these events special and memorable. In doing so, you will be creating lasting memories and passing on a legacy that will impact generations to come.
This is soo great, Larry! Thank you for reminding us. Bless you!