TESTIMONIALS FOR YOUR GRANDCHILDREN AS MEMORIAL STONES 

MEMORIAL STONES-

 

Do you know what they are? These are reminders, keepsakes of the things God did in your life.

For example, I have different memorial stones: I keep journals to remind me of the things God did in my life. I have a special devotional book that I wrote by hand using calligraphy. I think it’s beautiful and I refer back to it to reread what it says. I have a picture of Manhattan on my wall. Let me explain my picture to you:

 

I used to be the top Uber Driver in Baltimore. I wanted to sing in New York for a few years. I prayed that God would give me an opportunity to sing there. I had a trained singing voice that I used primarily for worship. I sang Sinatra to entertain my Uber passengers. That made me the top Uber Driver in Baltimore for 21 straight months. I sang some Christian songs, too, and I could feel God’s presence in my car. God provided me with a ride share trip to New York that paid me $372. I found out I was one mile away from Times Square. I drove there and parked my car nearby. It was COVID Time, Tuesday, May 5, 2020.

 

I decided to sing Frank Sinatra’s, “New York, New York” right in the middle of the plaza there. A small audience gathered. They all applauded and cheered. It was an experience of a lifetime for me. Channel 11 in Baltimore ran a story on my experience the end of the month that year. That was the most exciting experience of my public life!

 

That’s not all. I wanted a Memorial Stone to recall my experience. I prayed for God in May 2024 to give me a memorial stone. I wanted my experience to always be fresh.

 

I found my Memorial Stone at a Yard Sale three weeks later. It was a map of Manhattan, New York City and it had the location of Times Square on the map. The seller gave me the photo with the map for $1. It’s mounted to my office wall.

 

That map is so important to me. It recalls my singing experience and how lives were touched during the adversity from the pandemic. I brought cheer into their lives and gave them hope. Plus, God arranged the experience. I would never had that trip to New York if God didn’t provide it. I prayed for God to provide me a trip there for three years leading up to it. It was amazing.

 

WHY IS WRITING A TESTIMONIAL TO YOUR GRANDCHILDREN SO IMPORTANT?

 

We are to train our children in the way they are to go so that they will not depart from it when they get old.- Proverbs 22:6. This will help direct the path of their lives. It’s encouragement about how God worked in our lives, the differences He made in us and what we learned.

 

One of the things I found out is that we don’t share our Christian heritage with our grandkids. We share our fun times. Our grandchildren remember the times we took them to the park and let them swing on the swing or the times we took them out for ice cream.

 

I remember my Granddaddy coming 100 miles from Virginia to Baltimore to visit brothers, my sister and me twice a year when I was growing up. This was the ‘60’s. He’d give the four of us children $1 to spend on anything we wanted. I grew in love for my grandfather so much through his love and generosity that I started valuing what I bought with each dollar. I helped my siblings be wise in picking out gifts for themselves, too. I look at a dollar in my wallet sometimes and think about it as a Memorial Stone about those occasions with him.

 

My Granddaddy, Richard Holbert used to be a horrible drunk. He turned his life around, gave it to Jesus and lived an exemplary life. He became the Head of The Board of Supervisors in Spotsylvania County, Virginia and was well respected by the citizens in his county. Granddaddy died in 1975 and the County Government Office Building in Spotsylvania County was named after him. It was dedicated in November 1976.

 

Memorial Stones of his artifacts were in a display case inside the building. I remember one artifact clearly: A devotional opened to a page titled, SELFLESSNESS. That was my grandfather’s character. It made an indelible impression on me. That page is open in my mind now. I live by selflessness also and that’s how I live in his memory. Granddaddy knew Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord.

 

HOW DO YOU WRITE YOUR TESTIMONIAL?

 

It doesn’t have to be long but it has to be authentic. I hear a lot of people say, “I don’t know how to write”, or, “I can’t write”. You can journal different experiences and put them on paper. You’ll want to write about your experiences with God if you want them to live on in your grandchildren’s hearts. They need the encouragement.

 

I just completed writing my first grandchild’s “Welcome Letter”. She’ll be born in February 2025. I’m so looking forward to the experience of her birth and maybe more so because I will be 70 at the time she is born. It’s more meaningful because I’m older. I share with my granddaughter the time of my children’s births and how much of an impact their births made on me. I also share how God worked through me to support my daughter. It’s not heavy writing but it touches the heart.

 

You can write more than one testimonial to your grandchildren. You don’t have to compile all your information into one letter. Suppose you saw something in your grandchild’s character and God spoke to you about it? I have a step-granddaughter who is 12 years old. She visited my home for a week in 2023. I told her that God made her a special blessing and that He had plans for her life. She told this to her mother when she returned home after her visit and said no one ever told her that before. She was  blessed. That was a Memorial Stone for her. She’ll never forget what I said because I said God’s words through my spirit to her spirit. She’ll always remember those words even in her most difficult times. God planted those words in her heart.

 

Jesus said, “My words are spirit and they are life.” We don’t reach our grandchildren through our emotions so much as we reach them through our spirit: Love, acts of kindness, and words from God reach their hearts.

 

Ecclesiastes 3:14 says, “Whatever God does, it shall be forever.” What are the experiences of God in your life that affected you that you can pass on to your grandchildren? You’ll be surprised after you reach heaven the differences those words made in their lives.

 

So do it. I’m available if you need help in crafting these testimonials. Helping make positive change in our grandchildren will serve to make positive change in our world two generations and more down the line.

A Certified Life Coach and Certified Biblical Counselor, Richard Szalecki’s (pronounced, “Sah-LEH-key”) greatest strength is his compassion. His heart is filled with a deep, deep caring and love for others. He loves to share his inspiring stories of healing, hope and recovery around the world. Richard is a published Christian author, a writer, speaker, and church leader. He and his wife live in Florida and are excited to welcome their first grandchild on February 2, 2025.

Photo by Andy Oldham using DeepAI