“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

I wouldn’t change my grandchildren for the world but sure wish I could change the world for my grandchildren, but since I can’t, I will do what I can do. “Salty Believer” recently posted this: “It isn’t your job to save your child. It isn’t your job to change their heart or make them believe. Your job is to faithfully point them to Jesus. God is the One who changes hearts. God is the One who gives faith. God is the One who saves. So keep praying. Keep loving. Keep opening God’s Word together. Keep planting seeds of truth, one conversation at a time, and trust God to do what only He can do.” Grandparents, substitute “grandchild” for “child,” and you find your mission.

As much as we wish our grandchildren could spend their youth tip-toeing through the tulips, this probably will not be their experience. They more than likely will be overwhelmed, frustrated with those impossible multiplication tables, perhaps not allowed on the swing set by the class bully, probably not even voted prom king or queen. On my six-year-old granddaughter’s first day of school, she sat next to a poker…you know, the kind who pokes your ribs nonstop. He refused to quit, even when she repeatedly asked him to.

Sometimes we just need to remind our grandkids that life seems unfair. We all must face difficulty and overcome it. Moses was overwhelmed, and he prayed, “Please kill me here and now.” Jeremiah was broken and he cried, “Cursed be the day I was born.” When Elijah was overcome with fear and exhaustion, he said, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life.” And when Job was in deep anguish, he asked, “Why did I not die at birth?” And no, I probably would not share those stories with little ones, but they do need to know that God wants to hear from them when they are discouraged or frustrated. He will equip them to overcome.

The Bible is full of people who did not handle life well, but their story was not over. The same God who sustained them is still sustaining today. Our grandkids are in great hands.

Our goal, Grandparents, is to teach our children’s children that feeling inadequate is not the response God wants any of us to have. There always is hope. When they still can pray while bleeding, still worship while waiting or still believe while broken, they are not weak; they are a weapon. That kind of faith moves mountains and makes hell tremble. According to livingyourseniorlife.com, regular contact with grandparents reduces depression and anxiety in young people, fostering resilience during challenging situations. There probably has not been a time in history when grandparents did not grieve over the state of the culture into which these little ones were born. What loved one is not saddened that the young ones cannot ride their bikes or play a pickup game of baseball or attend a sleepover without fear of danger? So, what do we do? We pray. Every day. Multiple times a day. And we never give up. Even if our first reaction to “Poker Boy” is to meet him after school and stick our finger into his eyeballs as payback, we must refrain. And that may be the hardest test of all.