Now More Than Ever

“We will not conceal them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.” Ps 78:4

We recently celebrated my husbands sixtieth birthday. Two of our daughters who live outside of California flew in with their families and the rest of our tribe all convened here in L.A for his special day. It was a surprise I had planned months in advance. In the weeks leading up to this I was imagining what it was going to be like to have our children and grandchildren all together. For the entire weekend we laughed, told stories from the past and took lots of pictures. And in true Wilburn fashion, we ate. Eating was the best part as I got to enjoy seeing our family sit together and reminisce. I must confess however that the sweetest moments where when I heard the words, gramz, nana and grandma. My grandchildren’s voices just melt my heart. God truly gave us a lovely weekend and I know that my husband relished our time together just as much as I did. With that said, God also answered another prayer. Throughout the weekend my heart’s desire was to be intentional about sharing, speaking, and proclaiming the praises of the Lord and His wonderous works. I wanted to create great memories for us as a family and for me, that had to include our stories of the faithfulness of the One true God who has upheld both Steve and I for forty years.

 The impact of secular humanism on our nation, our children and our grandchildren is making inroads faster and more aggressively that I can ever remember. We can’t stick our heads in the sand and pretend that these forces of evil aren’t thriving. The laws that are being passed and the agenda that is being pushed on our young children in my book is mind-blowing and heart breaking. The narrative hasn’t changed all that much from the time of the book of Judges. It’s a said tale of those who chose to do what was right in their own eyes. Judges 17:6

So here we are in the twenty-first century. As much as we would like to think that we are more educated, enlightened and politically correct, we are re-living the same story. We are told that every individual must embrace their own truth and how that truth might be different for each person. What is more alarming is that this vocabulary has made its way among God’s people. We’ve become more tepid and timid in our presentation of the gospel. We’ve embraced a Jesus to our own liking. There are pulpits and preachers whose messages sound more like a therapist than the prophets of old.

In 1Tim 1, Paul mentions the influence of two women, Lois and Eunice. Their faith in God and the knowledge of His word was passed on to the next generation. And what an impact they made! Women of God, we have been given a vital sphere of influence. Now more than ever in the love and boldness of God’s Spirit, we need to proclaim God’s story with our mouths, pass on the legacy of faith in how we live and take a stand for God’s truth to this generation.

Let me be very transparent, we are not the perfect family! As parents we didn’t always get it right. Our marriage at times was less than the ideal example to our kids. The journey has presented us with sadness and setbacks. Yes our children grew up in the church, but if you are a parent you know it’s no guarantee they will choose what was instilled in them as children. But my calling isn’t over.

Our adult children still need to see their parents committed to the Lord. Serving Him and speaking His Truth as we’re getting older, is just as vital now more than ever. Our grandchildren need the foundation of a godly heritage from their grandma and grandpa. My heart is just as earnest for the salvation and godliness of these little souls as it is for their parents. I don’t want to give up what I know has been entrusted to me until my journey here comes to its end.