Who Is A Nana

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

WHEN I PLAYED WITH my grandson Jaxton yesterday, I remembered a long-ago day I spent with my own nana. We sat on a bench under the shade of a pear tree. The birds were singing, and the breeze from the bay made the leaves cast dancing shadows on the ground. The sky was filled with those cotton candy clouds that remind you of balloons and pirate ships. My nana took the time to just sit with me. In these quiet moments I knew that I was important and loved. This is one of my favorite childhood memories. It is simple yet profound.

As Jaxton and I shot Nerf darts down the hallways and then colored at my kitchen table, I realized that this might be an afternoon he remembers when he looks back on the story of his life—a simple time of just being with his nana.

Perhaps you have a special memory of your grandmother that makes you smile. Maybe she was your person to talk to when you had no one else, or she cooked or sewed or showed up to all your games and performances. Nanas bring joy to our families in so many ways.

One particular grandmother in Scripture teaches us the importance of generational faith. On his second missionary journey, the apostle Paul had a traveling companion named Timothy who later went on to become the leader of the church at Ephesus. When Paul wrote a letter of encouragement to him, he was careful to mention Timothy’s grandmother, Lois. He said, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” Paul gave Lois such high praise when he described her faith and its effect on Timothy.

I’ve heard it said that there are no second-generation Christians. By this we mean that each person must experience rebirth in Christ for themselves. Yet we can still pass on a legacy of faith, trusting that our own sons and daughters will come to know the Lord after us. What a heritage to have lived with faith so great that our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will come to know the Lord because He was first seen in us!

You might not have grandchildren yet, or perhaps your home is full of them. But in either case, the children in your home are watching, learning, and feeling their heavenly Father’s love through your own. Tonight let’s pause and offer a prayer of thanks for the women who have been grandmothers of the faith before us.

Tonight we pray for every nana in our lives. She may be called ___________________ . Her love and devotion, care and concern, words of wisdom and helping hands make our families stronger. Lord, we ask that You bless each of these women tonight. Please fill their hearts with joy. Help them know how much we love them.

We ask in Jesus’s name, amen.

Thank you, Lord, for ___________________, who impacted my life by . . .