Spiritual Heritage

It's been a little crazy around here! Once I returned from my Kansas trip, I went into full recovery mode from an ear/sinus infection (read, sleeping a LOT) and packing and organizing and arranging moving companies and trucks, etc. On the flip, we've moved 95% of our stuff to the new place and just have to clean and sort through the leftovers at the old place. It's amazing how much stuff can pile up after 2 years and rotating roommates! I did want to blog about my trip, so here's the first of my musings from the week.

My love for scrapbooking is rooted in a deep belief that everyone has a story to tell. The Greatest Story is, of course, in the Bible, and all stories follow the same path. I believe it's of upmost importance to share your story, especially when it involves generations and families and God. As I was putting together my Grandfather's book, I was reading stories and hearing stories and imagining in my mind what it must have been like to show up in Decatur County, Kansas in 1886 with 8 kids in tow and start a farm from the dust under your feet. What is was like to found and charter the first Lutheran church in the county, to barely make it by each year, and transform the landscape physically and spiritually.

The true pioneers in my life are my ancestors; what they have done has impacted my life immeasurably more than I know.

My great-great-grandfather Henry May chartered the first Lutheran church in the county. Most of his children became or married farmers, all while keeping within the church. When you read about each of his children in the family history, it lists their birth date, where they were born, their baptism date, when they were married, kids, and date of death. Baptism was such an important part of their life it was included in their biography! My great-grandpa Ernest May was of such Low German heritage that he venemently opposed the construction of kneelers in the new church; he hadn't taken the Lord's Supper for 50 years kneeling and didn't need to start now. :) My grandfather Martin May is a rock of faith; he has seen more tragedy and always taken it in stride. In visiting with him after the fire destroyed much of his own father's farmstead that he built with his hands, he doesn't complain or mope. He wonders what he should do next. How do I move on?

Out of the 7 grandchildren, 2 are pastors. All these pieces put together made me realize how BLESSED I am to have such a rich spiritual heritage. Bill Johnson speaks a lot about handing down the spiritual territory from one generation to another; I'd like to think my ancestors have done this extremely well. Because of their faithfulness and trust in God, I was raised in a home where God's name was spoken and we prayed. We weren't perfect, but we were surrounded by a believing family and had an innate genetic makeup that included some kind of resiliency and trust in Him. For that, I am forever grateful.