What Every Grandmother Needs…
Friends! Whether you’re already a grandmother or have a friend who’s a grandmother, I’ve got just the book for you and/or for you to give to a friend.
I discovered this book thanks to my sis-in-love, Margee, who gifted me with it when our little Claire Elizabeth was born. The book? A Grandmother’s Prayers—60 Days of Devotions and Prayer by Kay Swatkowski.
Not only was the book new to me, so was the author, Kay Swatkowski. I’m already a huge fan of her ideas and creative writing, plus I discovered her blog: www.americangrandma.com which also offers a wide variety of information.
The book includes sixty devotions. Each is short, including five parts:
1 – Kay opens with a story which illustrates the point of that day’s devotion.
2 – “Let us pray that…” This part offers points to pray about related to the story along with a Scripture to bring that point home.
3 – A prayer to help us apply this idea into our lives with our grandchildren.
4 – “Think and Do”: This part includes questions to get us thinking about how to incorporate the devotion’s idea into our lives, sometimes a Scripture to look up and sometimes a children’s book is recommended. (I grinned after Kay recommended children’s books by Max Lucado on more than one day. This is yet another reason she and I could be big buddies. Bigger smile.)
I’ve made quite a list of books purely from Kay’s recommendations to look into for reading to Claire and our future grands, Lord willing. (This may be a bit of an investment!) Kay gives a brief snippet of each book she recommends for younger and older children.
Here are just a few:
Bedtime Blessings by John Trent
Just in Case You Ever Wonder, The Crippled Lamb, and The Christmas Child by Max Lucado
God is With You by Larry Libby
My Friend Jesus by Kathryn Slattery
Too Small to Ignore by Wes Stafford
The Lord’s Prayer by Rick Warren
A Child’s Look at the 23rd Psalm by W. Phillip Keller
A children’s adaptation of Les Miserables by Monica Kulling
The Priest with Dirty Clothes by R.C. Sproul
She also recommends reading missionary stories of Gladys Aylward, Mary Slessor, Hudson Taylor, and Jim Elliot.
5 – Each devotion closes with several Scriptures to reinforce its’ focus. Each entry is empowering and encouraging for us grandparents to boldly press on praying for our precious grandchildren.
Kay opens the book with a charge of sorts:
“Research reveals that the love and care of the older generation has a positive impact on children in many ways.
One study found a definite link between grandparent involvement and adolescent well-being.
Grandparents provide not only affection and support, but also wisdom, problem-solving, and stability during times of family crisis…
GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH US.
WE HAVE A CRITICAL JOB TO DO.”
As God would orchestrate, when our whole family was at the beach in South Carolina in July, I opened Kay’s book to “Day Thirty: The Sea.” There I was, on a deck overlooking the ocean while Kay talks about us being drawn to the sea.
All I have to do is see the sea and my soul begins to stir. I recharge by the sea better than any other place on this earth.
Kay reminds us, “Our God is a Sea of limitless love and forgiveness. He is a Sea of acceptance and mercy. He is a Sea of strength and comfort…”
When the tide was out, walks on the beach allowed us to tote Claire along in her stroller.
Even this poor guy, having lost an eye and a claw, strolled the beach!
This particular morning, Diana and I started out with Claire in her Baby Bjorn. It was so hot, Claire immediately fell asleep. We decided to ditch the walk and grab an iced coffee in the air-conditioned shops. Certain the whipped cream smothering that coffee was walked off from our other beach walks???
This year’s family vacation not only included the beach, but our new little beach baby. Please note the wee bit of attention Baby Claire received from all of us:
In the devotional’s closing on the sea, Kay gives several Scriptures to pray, my favorite of which is:
“Let us pray that our children will have the delight of leading their children to an understanding of the deep love of God and of becoming part of one endless line of faith until Christ returns.” (3 John 1:4)
Amen and Amen.
Thanks to the Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Mount Pleasant and Charleston, South Carolina for a week of fun for our entire family…What a blessing!
Til next time!