The Greatest Inheritance
by Terri Bonin
Twenty six years ago my dad stood at the altar with me and my then soon-to-be-husband. I was one of three daughters my dad gave away in marriage that summer, and now, having grown children of my own, I don’t know how my dad made it through that ceremony without blowing snot everywhere on stage! Yes, this is a happy, wonderful transition, yet it’s an emotional one. The gravity of how fast the growing up years pass is surreal! Children are a gift, a blessing and temporary residents in our home. It’s like one day you’re holding an infant and the next you’re giving them away in marriage. The saying “in the blink of an eye” is oh so true!
Knowing that time is fleeting, my dad summed up in a song what mine and Troy’s union should look like on a daily basis. He summed up what he and my mom had done for me. Don’t get me wrong, my parents aren’t perfect, like Troy and I aren’t (It runs in the family!) But one thing they did…made up for any imperfections they might have.
They gave me…
Jesus.
And for that, I am literally eternally grateful!
Here is the song my dad sang at our wedding alter…
You can give your children houses
And you can give them lands
And the riches of your efforts
And all your best laid plans
But of all that they inherit
Of all that you could will
Please include the unseen treasure of the life
That God has filled
Because the greatest gift a father can give
Is a life lived for Jesus
And the Greatest gift a mother can give
Is at the Knowledge of the Lord
Pass Him on to your children
He’s the gift that keeps on giving
The greatest gift is a Life lived for Jesus
And Someday the house will crumble
And time will turn the land to dust
And when all accounts are empty
Where will you invest their trust?
But of the riches that you give them
It’s the wisdom of His ways
Then the wealth you leave your children
Will last through all their days
Our marriage has not been perfect because we’re human, but the one thing we have strived for together above all others is to give our children Jesus.
His friendship. His love. His salvation.
The knowledge of Him IS the greatest inheritance we can pass on generationally. What are you passing onto your children?
~Terri
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