May 2010

“For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure it is in you as well.”

II Tim. 1:5

For those of you who have visited our home, you are mindful of the large wall of windows along the rear of our house, offering a splendid view of the yard, birds that visit, trees, and flowers. Now Pastor Carl is a fanatic when it comes to keeping the windows clean. He has appointed the task of window cleaning to him and him alone. Arming himself with his trusty bottle of no-streak Windex, newspaper, and some muscle-power, away he goes to eradicate those unmerciful smudges and smears. The resulting restoration of sparkle and brilliance is undeniable after the chore is finished, BUT we still have one very small problem.

It seems that mysteriously, there is always a steady sprinkling of fingerprints along the length of the window and its’ adjoining sliding door, their appearance coinciding with visits from our grandchildren. A common definition of a fingerprint is this:  “an impression of the lines and whirls of the inner surface of the end joint of the finger.” Yes, our dear little Abbey had left her mark and with her fingerprints she had stated—“I was here and I left my impression.

I then realized that as Moms, we leave our fingerprints on our children. From the time of conception, we are leaving our fingerprints, or an impression on their lives, right into adulthood. Chuck Swindoll once said, “Mothers, don’t ever forget the permanence of your imprint. The kids may seem ungrateful, they may act irresponsible, and they may even ignore your reminders and forget your advice. But believe this—they can’t erase your influence.”

As Moms, we need to care about the kinds of legacy we leave when the Lord calls us home, and with our words and actions, pass on our faith to our children. Remember, it’s never too late to leave your fingerprints on the precious gifts the Lord has entrusted to us—our children.

Happy Mother’s Day,

Carl & Bonnie Friedrich

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