Legacy Grandparenting Summit - Gary Chapman & The Greatest Gift You Can Give Your Grandchildren

When you think about conferences, you typically get to hear from one or two or three key  note, general session speakers; but this was not the case for the Legacy Grandparenting Summit! By the middle of the second day we had already heard from Larry Fowler, Josh Mulvihill, Valerie Bell, Chuck Swindoll & family, Michelle Anthony and Crawford Loritts; a full slate for sure, but this was not the end. Not at all!

Today I'm very, very happy for the opportunity to share with you what Gary Chapman had to tell us about the greatest gift grandparents can give their grandchildren. This message is one every grandparent needs to hear and will absolutely benefit from, because it will make a significant difference in the lives of their grandchildren.

So, what is this, "greatest gift", you wonder? Gary Chapman told us the greatest gift we can give our grandchildren is to model what it looks like to be grandparents who love, care for and support one another. Yes, it is the gift of showing them what it looks like to have a strong, solid marriage. He then shared with us the characteristics of marriages which are thriving in the "second half" . . . 

• They keep emotional love in their relationship.
• They learn to apologize and forgive . . . and are sure to model to their grandchildren what it looks like to apologize and give forgiveness.
• They accept things which irritate them and laugh about it.
• They keep adventure in their marriage, do not let their marriage "get in a rut" and they teach along the way!
• They have a deep commitment to God and each other.

Grandparents who have a strong marriage, who love, care for and support each other are not just grandparents who will have a deep joy, but they are grandparents who are giving their grandchildren an incredible gift; the gift of modeling what a strong, healthy marriage looks like. These grandparents are able to be a "haven" to their grandchildren when needed and a source of strength as well.

When you think about the impact you want to make on and gift you can give to your grandchildren, is it not the impact and gift of being able to model a strong, healthy marriage? When you think about the grandparents in your church, is this also not the impact and gift you want them to make and give to the children and youth in your church?

If you are a grandparent, commit to be intentional about developing and strengthening the characteristics of marriages thriving in the "second half". If you are a church leader, commit to do all you can to support and encourage the grandparents in your ministry, so they have this type of marriage - it will make a significant difference in the lives of the children and youth in your church!