It’s been a great pleasure this week to catch up with my 3 British grandchildren and see the progress they’ve made since I last saw them 7 months ago. Three year old Nicholas is closing in on 4, and the twins, Thomas and Evelyn, have grown to 2½. Vocabulary has increased dramatically for all of them, and Evelyn in particular can chat up an adult till the adult runs out of words.

Raising children is a steady source of God-reminders to parents and grandparents as we get to know each youngster in detail. They’ve all been God-wired with their own opinions and have entered the world with specific likes and dislikes. Looking at a freshly-born 8 pound lump of helpless humanity, that’s difficult to believe.

But wise parents will make a steady project of studying their children, learning their natural leanings and then offering them repeated opportunities to try them out. But do we ever stop learning new things about our offspring, even into their adulthood?

Last weekend I discovered something new about my 29 year-old fifth-born, Hans: he can preach. He did an excellent job delivering a sermon  from an assigned text and made 3 points, each one easy to remember: (1) Believe Jesus, not you; (2) Believe Jesus, not the world; (3) Believe Jesus, not Satan. He pulled new insights from the scriptural story of “The Rich Young Ruler,” coaxing listeners toward the heart of Jesus and sharing from his own heart, too.

Hans isn’t a preacher. He’s never had aspirations to be a reverend but was asked to give this Sunday morning sermon and agreed. I know he was blessed during his extensive preparation, and as his mother (and one of his hearers), I was moved.

When I was growing up, Mom used to quote a short Bible verse from the book of 3 John: “I have no greater joy than to know that my children walk in truth.” (1:4) Since she believed Jesus was truth, she wanted to steadily let us know her greatest desire was that we’d all choose to follow him through life. Listening to my grown son explain how to do this and why it’s the only good life-choice caused my heart to pound with joy.

We parents love to see our children “turn out” well. We’re especially proud when they make sensible choices, perform admirably, win awards, or earn degrees. But when they elevate Jesus Christ to first place in their lives, nothing could get better than that.

“I, [wisdom], love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.  I walk in the way of righteousness.” (Proverbs 8:17-20)