Land Of My Ancestors

Psalm 22:30-31 – Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done. (NLT)

"'Ingalls!' Where did you get that name?" a gruff voice intoned.

In response to the question, I looked up to see a tall, elderly gentleman looking down at the name on the cover of my first book. At first, I didn't quite know how to respond. Why was he asking, and why in that tone of voice? After a brief hesitation, I said, "I was born with it."

"But before that?" he quizzed.

"Before that, Edmund and Francis in Lynn, Massachusetts, in 1628, and before that again, Skirbeck, England — the land of my ancestors."

Years later, I had the privilege of walking the streets where my ancestors once lived. A stately stone church dominated the village square, and in the membership book, I found the name of Ingalls. This was the place where my ancestors had worshipped God. Upon further research, I learned my forefathers and other folks from the tiny village of Skirbeck had built St. Nicholas Church around 1180 and completed the tower in 1450.

The first group of people were never able to see the completion of the church they started three hundred years before the addition of the tower, but they felt a call to put those first stones in place. In so doing, they laid a foundation for my faith and that of the many who came after them.

When we take our children to church, when we share our faith with them, when we teach them about the love of God, when we pray for their safety and their souls, we are laying a foundation for their faith and for that of the many who will come after us in future generations.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may the choices we make and the lessons we teach create a sound spiritual foundation for our children, both now and in the future. Amen.