Heritages... Yours to Have and to Give

Good Morning (Afternoon).  I am so thankful for my family.  My family has a wonderful way of encouraging me.  Perhaps it is because they ask me a question that causes me to delve deeply in the word of God, or it is when they share the thoughts and/or sermons through which God ministered to them, or perhaps it is just them giving me the strong word of "get your big girl pants on, suck it up and keep moving on."  My family...  I have laughed with them (and sometimes at them). I have cried with them and on their shoulder.  As eclectic as my family is, I wouldn't trade them.  I am very thankful for the heritage that my parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, siblings have passed on to me and my children.  It is through that heritage that I have learned to have a love for God's Word and a desire to seek his face.  Another thing that gives me great joy is that a heritage isn't just something that was done in the past but is very current happening.  It is through my efforts to be faithful to God, my teaching and speaking of God's Word to my children that I pass on a heritage too.  My children do not have to just rely on the heritage that my parents have passed on but they can look at me and know that, though I am not perfect, my heart seeks the will of God.  It is through our everyday faithfulness, our daily devotions, our efforts to rise above our temptations that will inspire our children to develop their own relationship with God.  I know that my kids see every one of my flaws, they know of my short-comings and my weaknesses but I pray that they also see my willingness to be honest about those things and my sincere desire to overcome them though the strength of Christ.  I do not believe that heritages are about being us perfect but always striving for a deeply intimate relationship with God.  So today I ask myself, what heritage am I passing on to my children?  One of devotion or one of selfishness?