When I was a child, my father was adamant about regular family Bible study and prayer time. I just wanted to play outside, watch television or read mystery novels. One morning, the school bus driver arrived early and waited outside where, much to my embarrassment, our family of four was in full view through the living room window as we knelt in prayer. When we ran out to get on the bus, our friends asked my sister and me why we were all lined up in a row with our heads down. Afraid of being laughed at, we answered that we were helping our parents put a new cover on the living room sofa.

In my teenage years I would arrive home from  my school activities to find my Father sitting at his desk with a well-worn and marked-up Bible open before him. I would sigh and think that Dad was at it again. What a boring way to spend an evening!

Now with a family of my own, I think differently of my Father’s example as I delve into his old, tattered Bible. The inheritance of faith and Bible study my Father left me gives me a sense of security that money can’t buy, and I thank both of my parents for that legacy.

Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for the spiritual leaders in our families and communities. Help us to pass on our faith to younger generations. Amen