... showing love to a thousand generations..

I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

Exodus 20 : 5 + 6

memorized this verse in January, wanting to have it available to me anytime I pray for my kids...

claiming this promise for my kids... I love God and try to keep His commandments as good as I can... so He promises to show love to my children for a thousand generations...

 a promise to hold on to, when things are difficult and we worry about where our children are heading...

thought of this again today.... not because of my children, but rather because of my own parents, and the dysfunction of my family. I am so thankful that He in His mercy and grace has chosen me before the beginning of the world to be His, has given me eyes to see and ears to hear, has freed me from the bondage of being the first generation of those that hate God... that are openly scorning His commandments ....

I have done nothing to deserve this.. giving my life for Him seems to small a Thank you.... I am so glad that by His grace and His strength chains can be broken and dysfunction can be overcome.. as much as I have not had the chance to change some of the patterns, by loving God I am giving my children a better chance...

by walking in forgiveness and mercy, by seeking Him and allowing them to see my desperate dependence on Him, I am breaking the pattern of that sin that has been keeping my family in bondage.. pride...

very sad to see the torment and destruction that are the fruit of resisting God and rejecting Him... not being able to admit mistakes and weaknesses, not surrendering and acknowledging that God is in control, that He is the One from whom all blessings flow... proudly claiming their success as their own and pointing a finger at anyone who does not live up to their expectations, never seeing how much they have let others down and hurt them....

it breaks my heart and I will not cease to plead with my God to open their eyes and unstop their ears, so that they too can find the forgiveness, the peace and the love that is only found in the One who is the Beginning and the End... the Alpha and Omega, the Prince of Peace, Almighty God, the King of Kings...

I will continue to try to live authentically before them, try to be an ambassador of Christ, allowing Him to shine His light through me... to be a light in the darkness... so that they too will spend eternity with Him... because no matter what hurt they are continuing to inflict, I do love them...