Eight Ways to Invest in Your Grandchildren (Part 2)

Written by Judy Douglass, Author, Blogger, and Podcaster

In last week’s blog post, I talked about grandparenting as a stewardship responsibility and opportunity.

Here are four more ways we can invest in our grandkids:

5. Create Adventures

My children all love adventure—and it seems their children do too.

We have a family vacation every other summer, and it always includes some adventures. Even with babies and toddlers along, the majority have been able, over the years, to raft wild whitewater, ride horses on steep mountain trails, hike mountains, and recently, zipline across the Royal Gorge.

Other adventures have occurred at the beach, sitting on a gator, holding a python, getting soaked at Animal Kingdom River Rapids, skimming across a swamp on an airboat, exploring museums and aquariums and caves, learning to fish, and more.

6. Listen

When they are young, we listen to their chatter, even if we can’t understand a word, and respond with smiles and affirming words. As their verbal skills improve, so must our listening skills. Ask questions, hear their answers, and engage in evolving conversation.

Then when they are older they might open up and share their hearts, hurts, desires, and dreams. You might be the one they come to talk to about faith, the future, and family. All because you listened.

7. Love

Family love can be assumed. Some of us speak it often, and children are taught to speak love to their grandparents. But how do we live out love to others before them—their parents, their grandmother? And do we live out love to them? Do they sense it is more than words?

The apostle John urges us, “let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

Will we give them priority over our online activities (she said to herself) or our TV watching? Will we go to their sports events in sweltering summer months or icy winter days? Will we give them attention or gifts they really desire? Will we intentionally seek to guide them into truth and wisdom?

8. Pray

Oh, how we desire to see our grandkids grow into strong, healthy, wise, loving men and women, with good character, seeking God first, becoming the persons God has created them to be, and doing the good works God has prepared for them. We want to be good stewards of the lives entrusted to us.

We certainly move in that direction as we do all the actions listed earlier. But that is no guarantee of the rich legacy we yearn for.

We must go to that throne of grace and beseech the one who can weave our efforts with our children’s efforts and the responses of beloved grandchildren into the likeness of Christ, living in love and grace, serving others, and loving God.

We must pray for them. Often. Specifically. About everything.

What about you? How do you steward the future of your grandkids?

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Judy’s passion is to encourage God’s children to become all they were created to be and to accomplish all they were created to do.  In more than 50 years on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ, she has done that through writing, editing and speaking.

She partnered with her husband Steve to lead Campus Crusade for 20 years, and focuses on Women’s Resources and leads a ministry to people who love a prodigal.  Judy has traveled all over the world to speak and is known for her realness.  She resides in Orlando, Florida, with her husband, Steve.  They have three children and 10 grandchildren.