Reflections on Generational Faithfulness and the Life We Leave Behind
I’ve been in Western Pennsylvania this week—just me and my parents, with time to be around my brother and his family too. It’s amazing to see how much our family is growing.
In a few days, I’ll drive my parents out to Nebraska for Emily’s graduation.
The last one to walk that stage.
And it’s hitting me—I’m standing in that sacred space between generations.
Not just watching time pass—feeling it.
Between Generations
To be a son and a father in the same breath…
To carry both gratitude and questions…
To see what’s been passed down… and what’s still being shaped.
There’s this thread in Scripture—woven through the Psalms and the promises of God—that speaks of faith passed from one generation to the next.
Not perfectly. Not always cleanly. But faithfully.
“His faithfulness continues through all generations.” —Psalm 100:5
The Way We Walk Matters
And I’m reminded: what we choose to show up for today… matters.
The quiet decisions. The unseen sacrifices. The daily prayers.
They don’t just shape a moment—they shape a direction.
They whisper to the next generation:
“This is the way. Walk in it.”
Because the next generation is watching.
And whether they embrace the path we’ve walked or choose a different one, our choices will echo in them.
I’ve often said—we’re not just raising our kids.
We’re raising our grandkids. Our great-grandkids.
We don’t get to choose if we’ll leave a mark.
But we do get to choose how healthy or unhealthy it will be.
Not Legacy. Life.
And here’s the thing I keep coming back to:
It’s not about building a legacy.
It’s about living a way of life worth following.
Let me say that again:
It’s not about building a legacy.
It’s about living a way of life worth following.
One speaks of control—curating what we leave behind.
The other speaks of influence—how we show up today.
Presence.
Integrity.
Daily faithfulness.
That’s the kind of life that echoes.
Not because we forced it to… but because we lived it sincerely.
Which one is it for you?
A Reflective Prayer
God of every generation—past, present, and future—
Help me live a life worth following.
Not one built for applause, but one anchored in love.
Teach me to choose presence over performance,
and faithfulness over fear.
I confess how often I try to control the outcome—
shaping a legacy instead of surrendering my life.
Help me to release what I cannot orchestrate,
and trust that quiet obedience speaks louder than strategy.
Impress these truths on your children,
when we sit at home, walk along the road, lie down, and get up.
Let that kind of faith—slow, sincere, and steady—take root in me.
Let it ripple gently into those who come behind me.
For you are good, and your love endures forever;
your faithfulness continues through all generations.
Remind me again and again:
What the world calls ordinary—
You often call sacred.
Amen.
Scripture References:
Psalm 100:5
Deuteronomy 6:6–7