I’ve been meditating on Psalm 145 for several weeks, and particularly verse 4 comes to mind often: “One generation shall commend Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.”
This is one aspect of our small group Bible study that I greatly cherish – the cross-generational demographic of each group. There, one generation truly DOES speak of the works of the Lord to another; my group is “home” to at least 3 generations, and possibly 4 (depending on the cut-off year you prefer). I love the perspective, the grounding, and the sharpening of these generations meeting together to speak of the might of God’s awesome deeds, whether in our individual lives or throughout recorded history.
This was also striking over the last weekend, as I sat in a memorial service for my late grandmother. Many humorous stories were told and laughs shared – and tears shed too – over the pranks she pulled and various anecdotes of her life. What I didn’t hear, though, was how the Lord worked in her life, despite that she had been a believer for several decades. Maybe those accounts, though known by various friends and relatives, simply weren’t told this weekend, but have been cherished privately. Maybe she never shared them at all due to the deeply personal nature of many of these mighty acts. I don’t know, and I hope it’s clear that I’m not criticizing that. But these stories have the power to encourage not just the one who experiences them firsthand, but all who hear, throughout time. And too, when we speak of how the Lord has proved Himself to be faithful, those with whom we share can remind us in the future of what we know, not just intellectually but also experientially, to be true of the Lord and of His character, by bringing those events back into our recollection. We do ourselves and all those around us a disservice by not speaking of these works.
So knowing myself, and knowing I’m unlikely to do well in sharing these intimate moments with my children even as they grow and mature, I give permission to whoever is around then: When I’m gone, share the stories you know of how the Lord worked mightily in me. Pour forth the fame of His abundant goodness as evidenced in my life. Sing aloud of His righteousness, speak of the might of His awesome deeds, and declare His greatness, from one generation to another.