Have you ever been to Charleston, South Carolina? This weekend I was privileged to serve the women of Wesley United Methodist Church at their ladies retreat, which was held in Charleston. I arrived early to prepare for the event; then I took some time to explore Charleston. While I’ve been there before many times, because of the people, it is never the same place twice.
My friend, Kelli, and I met this precious woman who was weaving the sweet grass baskets, a long standing Charleston tradition. She wasn’t stationed up around the market where most of the weavers set up, rather she was down near the waterfront working on her wears in the peaceful setting of fountains and passers-by. We stopped to talk with her and were astounded by the treasure of history we discovered.
While I never caught her name, I was captivated by her stories. She learned to weave baskets from her family and was passing down the tradition of basket weaving to her grandson. He was using his skills to raise money needed to fund his trip to Washington DC this summer to represent his school in a leadership conference. Basket weaving wasn’t the only tradition her family passed down. They were never afraid of hard work. Her aunt was the last baby born in the slaves’ quarters of Boone Plantation. Her great aunt and uncle had been share croppers on Boone Plantation and were the last family to live in the little house, third one down from “big house” on the plantation. This family knew how to work and how to work hard. I also learned her Christian heritage was something passed down from her ancestors to her and she was passing it on to her grandson. I couldn’t help but think of Paul’s letter to Timothy where he said in 2 Timothy 1:5, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” Her grandson had a strong heritage behind him; one of craftsmanship, hard work and the love of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
I couldn’t help but think about my family. What kind of legacy am I leaving behind for them? What type of inheritance of character and faith am I passing on to my children and hopefully, my grandchildren some day?
What about you? Do you follow Deuteronomy 6:1-9, where the Lord instructs the Israelites to pass on their faith? Deuteronomy 6:6-9 says, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
Are you? Are you impressing the Word of God on your children and grandchildren? Do you talk about your faith and share God’s faithfulness through good times and bad? It’s never too late to start.