The Unexpectedly Profound Words of a 7-Year-Old

An Unexpected Moment

It came completely out of the blue.

My 7-year-old grandson Zac and I were sitting on the couch watching a movie. One scene was about parents dying when their son was an infant, hence he grew up without ever knowing them.

This triggered a thought in Zac and he said, “Grandpa, who’s going to die first – me or you?”

Wow, that was unexpected!

Not wishing to explain the cold reality how any person can die at any moment, I went with my gut and replied, “Me, of course, Zac – and by many years!”

And then, by instinct, I added, “And when I die, don’t forget about me.”

Without missing a beat, Zac came right back with another completely unexpected response.

“I won’t forget you, Grandpa,” he said. “When you die, I’m going to go to the store and buy a big basket, and write a sign that says, ‘All the things Grandpa bought for me.’ And then I’m going to put all the things you bought for me in that basket.’”

The conversation ended there as Zac returned his focus to the movie, but my mind was reeling (let alone struggling to fight back a couple of tears).

Still With Me

Of course, Christian parents and grandparents want to be remembered by their offspring for the spiritual impact they make upon them and not for the gifts they gave them, but I found Zac’s response to be quite profound.

I mean, 7-year-olds do tend to think in terms of the amount of things they have rather than in the sacrifices adults make for them, or the contributions to their character they make while they are growing up.

Soon after, Zac, my son Aaron, and I went out for about 6 hours. We ate, shopped, snacked, and overall enjoyed each other’s company.

In all, I spent 11 hours with Zac that day – soccer and football included – before saying goodnight.

And all along Zac’s remark – “I won’t forget you, Grandpa” – stayed with me. In fact, more than 48 hours later, it is still with me.

I can’t really explain why these words of a young boy have impacted me so much, but perhaps it has something to do with the idea of being remembered – and remembered for good.

And by “good” I’m talking specifically about being able to have a spiritual impact on his life. And by “spiritual impact,” I’m talking about having a hand in leading him to faith in Christ, and after that, to help him grow in his faith.

I pray daily for Zac that the Lord will help him grow to be a man after His own heart, that Zac will grow to love God the Father, the Lord Jesus, that the Holy Spirit would work mightily in him, and that Zac would love God’s Holy Word and cling to it.

Essentially, I pray all these things for Zac whether or not I play a part in any of them, but ultimately, I want so much to be a part of them.

And, of course, when I leave this world, I want Zac to remember me for playing this vital role in his life. Though it may sound selfish, I do want to be remembered for good. And I’m not alone. In the very last sentence of the book named after him, Nehemiah wrote, “Remember me, my God, for good” (Nehemiah 13:31).

I’m sure you desire this as well – that not only God, but your loved ones will remember you for good.

Ah, what thoughts that arise from the unexpectedly profound words of a 7-year-old!

David Ettinger was born and raised in a Jewish family in New York. After moving to New Mexico as an adult, he suffered through many trials. The nudge of the Holy Spirit caused him to examine his heart and in 1986 he surrendered his life to Jesus and has walked with Him ever since. David holds a BA, and MA, in English from New Mexico State University. He began his journalism career writing for The Roundup, the university paper. After graduation he became the sportswriter for the El Paso Times. He has held many other positions as both writer and editor with major publications. David is active in providing his skills with Zion’s Hope, Inc., in Winter Garden, Florida. His publications include Lifeway publications, Single Parent magazine (Focus on the Family), Zion’s Fire magazine, and Real Life magazine. In addition, he served as managing editor for Zion’s Fire and Real Life. David’s book, Overcomers: 30 Stories of Triumph from the Bible, is available online. David is proud of his son and grandson. Please read his testimony here, on his website. 

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