It’s been a hectic week so I’ve dusted off and tweaked an older post on a topic that is dear to me…especially as a grandfather.

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.  Proverbs 22:6

Both of my grandfathers were excellent carpenters.  My paternal grandfather made furniture with his brother-in-law while my maternal grandfather made several pieces for our family.  But their skills were not limited to furniture.  Similarly, my father was and my uncle is skilled in carpentry, masonry, electrical work, etc.  Having grown up on a farm, their skills needed to have a broad spectrum.  Sadly, neither my brothers nor I are particularly well trained in those areas.  Certainly, we can all swing a hammer or use a screwdriver, but the level of expertise is greatly diminished.  We grew up in a different era and circumstance which did not make those talents as necessary.  Consequently, our father didn’t feel the same need to train us as his father did.  As a result, the knowledge did not get passed from one generation to the other.   Living with chronic illness requires a special skill set, especially in the spiritual and psychological areas.  It is our trust in God that allows us to live well and the lack of it which causes us to falter.   Whether or not we have children of our own, there will be children (whether infants or grown adults)  in our sphere of influence that we will impact positively or negatively depending on how we face our illness and/or the trials that arise during the course of our lives.