REPLICATE OR DUPLICATE?

"I thought about the whole notion of “reproduction”, and what it really means to replicate yourself. Is it merely about the passing on of eyes and chins and hair color? Or is it, rather, the replication of the heart? Do we leave a bigger mark by passing on our genes, or our thoughts?” Shannon Woodwar, author of Inconceivable:Finding Peace in the Midst of Infertility”

My grandson is so much like his mother. I see many of the characteristics of my daughter in my 9 year old granddaughter. My oldest granddaughter thinks like her father. My oldest grandson is a combination of both sides of the family (the best part). In different situations people have indicated that both of my granddaughters look like me or like each other. Is that true? Who can say? Much like beauty, it is often in “the eyes of the beholder” One grandchild probably thinks and reacts to things much like I do. I don’t always understand one grandson’s initial reaction, but his deep-down thoughts are good and reflect his parents’ beliefs.

I want to believe that each of these grandchildren will take my attitude towards life and my faith in God to become even stronger and better individuals because of what I have passed on to them. Physical characteristics have very little importance in the overall scheme of God’s plan. God’s gift to us is His Son and our gift to the world around us is to show that love and leave that mark. The mark we leave in this world (whether on our children or the children of the world) is important only if it is the mark of love and God’s Word in the heart of those we are allowed to influence. As a footnote to the opening thought: It might be interesting to note that two of those grandchildren are biological grandchildren and two of them are adopted grandchildren. And even those who know us can not always tell which child is the replication of my heart and which the replication of my physcial body. My desire is that "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy" in my heart it will be duplicated over and over in theirs. And if that happens then I have left the biggest mark I can leave on my children and my grandchildren whether they be biological or of the heart.

The Unseen Love

Before I share this prompt, I want to express my gratitude for this avenue of expression. It has given me a way to practice meeting a deadline as well as a place to react and express my reaction to excellent quotes. But more than that, I have been blessed by reading the thoughts of some wonderful Christian women, and I encourage you to go to the websites of some of the women who are posting through IN OTHER WORDS

"Salt, when dissolved in water, may disappear, but it does not cease to exist.We can be sure of its presence by tasting the water.

Likewise, the indwelling Christ, though unseen, will be made evident to others from the love which He imparts to us."

Sadhu Sundar Sing

My husband always makes a survey of the dinner table before we bow for prayer. And I know what he is looking for...salt. If by some slip, I have forgotten to put it within his reach or even more unthinkable have not even put it on the table, he rises before we pray to retrieve the salt.(Please note that is a somewhat tongue in cheek statement, but also true.) It is that invisible flavor of life that so many of us crave and miss so much if it isn't there. Sometimes we don't even know what's missing, but the food just doesn't "taste right". We all know someone whose presence brings a glow to the environment...the club meeting goes better, the luncheon group is happier, the church board meeting is pleasant. That is the dissolved salt of Christ's love in the environment they live in. My prayer today is that Christ's love is made evident to others when they get a taste of my life.

"Remember, we all stumble, every one of us.

That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand."~ Emily Kimbrough ~ Hand in hand… Two little girls hopping from the last step of the school bus and rushing hand in hand to the playground – a new year of school has begun and the future is out there someplace but they go hand in hand to what the new year brings.

Lovers walking on the beach as the sun silhouettes them against the evening Florida sky-boy and girl walking toward the parking lot after a day at the beach and the future is out there someplace, but they go hand in hand to what the night may bring

Parents and children scolding and laughing as they push their way to the entrance of the amusement park, mother, father, daughter, son hurrying toward the day of family fun-and the future is out there someplace, but they go hand in hand to meet it unafraid of what years may bring.

White haired lady and upright man carrying his cane as they walk toward the door of the hospital-leaning one on the other as they have done for the past fifty years, they push open the door and the future is out there someplace but they enter hand in hand for what the visit may bring.

What a comfort it is to go hand in hand with someone else through the experiences of life because we know we will stumble, and those of us who have a hand to hold realize what a security it is when we stumble. But remember “everyone of us stumbles” as we come from that past or go to that future. The only hand we really can truly trust is God’s hand. He never stumbles. He can always hold us up. Holding hands with Him will always keep us safe for what ever the future brings. And there is my comfort in life.