One Endless Line of Faith
January 24, 2012
One Endless Line of Faith
By Kay Swatkowski
I ask God most often that we would be an unbroken line of Christians until Christ returns.
- A grandfather’s prayer
In four languages, the sign at the entrance instructed worshipers to observe silence. A steady stream of hushed and compliant sightseers from every corner of the world tiptoed through Notre Dame Cathedral, past flickering, smoldering candles, shaky wooden chairs, massive stone pillars, and worn-out kneelers.
We paused partway through the cathedral at a small, antiquated wooden door. Less than six feet high, the uneven, deteriorating door marked one of the first entrances to an early version of the cathedral, dating to about 1200 AD. Natural lights streaming through the famed Rose Windows, danced across the cold, gray stone floor in faint shades of blue and red, as we reverently filed behind the altar. That afternoon, a service was being conducted in German.
Impressive? Unforgettable? Beautiful?
Yes.
However, it was not the architecture, the windows, or the artwork that touched my heart. It was the floor.
As we wandered through one of the most famous cathedrals in the world, holding the hands of our four children, I noticed what seemed to be a path worn into that ancient floor. Over nearly eight centuries, thousands upon thousands had circled that altar, just as we had. Most came longing to find God, wanting to serve him, desperate to know him.
In that moment, I understood that my husband and I and our four children were part of an endless line of Christians who were seeking to know and love God. We were walking a holy path traveled by millions before us.
Inviting our children and grandchildren to embrace the Christian faith and follow Christ is the greatest privilege in life. Our most powerful tool in influencing their faith and ensuring a spiritual legacy is prayer.
During my years as a women’s ministry director, I heard women affectionately share stories of their grandparents and the effect these relationships had upon their faith in Christ. Consistently these women shared the same story.
“I wandered away from the church during my teen years, but always knew my grandmother loved me and was praying for me. I know I am a Christian today because of my grandmother’s prayers.”
A praying grandparent is a child’s greatest ally and support. The care and prayer of grandparents can make all the difference.
May our children and grandchildren join the unbroken line of Christians until Christ returns. May we as parents and grandparents devote ourselves to prayer.
