"An old toybox with peeling paint, faded decals, and little sections of splintered wood sat in a garage wondering what was his intended fate in this new location. He had recently been "uprooted" from the quiet corner of a dark basement, where he had been resting for years. Questions flooded his mind. Where was he? Where were the children with toys for him to hold? Was he once again going to be relegated to a lonely corner gathering dust and spiders or could there possibly be some excitement on the horizon? As these thoughts wound their way through his brain he began to reflect on the journey of his life to this point in time.
It all began some thirty years ago when a mother asked her father to build a toy box for her three children. Since the father, a farmer by trade, was gifted with his hands and woodworking was an evening hobby he quickly set to work on this act of love for his grandchildren. He located a suitable pattern, cut out the sections from pine, then carefully assembled the pieces adding small wheels to the "undercarriage" to make moving the toybox around a room a breeze. His job was done. With pride he gave the toybox to his daughter, who set out to give it a coat of paint and a bit of character with decals and lettering. Once the paint was dry the toybox was ready for use.
Through the years this toybox held John Deere tractors and plows, cabbage patch dolls, legos by the hundreds, "My Little Pony" ponies, Chewbaca & various other Star Wars figures, as well as "dried up" play dough, broken crayons, and whatever else happened to be on the floor when mother said to "pick up the room". The toybox fondly remembers those days, knowing he was a valuable part of the family. But children don't stay young forever and there came a day when the toybox was ignored having been replaced by school books, a computer, and car keys.
Now, after years of being in storage, he finds himself in an unfamiliar place. Why would he be sitting in a garage beside an electric sander, paint cans and tiny brushes? It isn't long before the mother, who originally requested his "construction", a bit older but with the same smile, sits down beside him and begins to tenderly smooth out his rough exterior. Could he be needed again? Is it possible there are once more children in the house?
After several days of sanding, painting, and stenciling, the toy box is ready to take his place in the room of the mother's grandson! The words which have been stenciled onto the exterior of the toy box are character traits the mother prays will be stamped into the heart her grandson: love, hope, faith, believe, and joy. Contentment fills the heart of the toy box as he once again feels a useful member of the family!"
Now, this tale, although a bit silly, does remind me of the importance of family legacy. We all pass down things to our children. My father exemplified love, hope, faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that, not the toy box, is his true legacy to his great-grandson! Thank-you, Dad!
It all began some thirty years ago when a mother asked her father to build a toy box for her three children. Since the father, a farmer by trade, was gifted with his hands and woodworking was an evening hobby he quickly set to work on this act of love for his grandchildren. He located a suitable pattern, cut out the sections from pine, then carefully assembled the pieces adding small wheels to the "undercarriage" to make moving the toybox around a room a breeze. His job was done. With pride he gave the toybox to his daughter, who set out to give it a coat of paint and a bit of character with decals and lettering. Once the paint was dry the toybox was ready for use.
Through the years this toybox held John Deere tractors and plows, cabbage patch dolls, legos by the hundreds, "My Little Pony" ponies, Chewbaca & various other Star Wars figures, as well as "dried up" play dough, broken crayons, and whatever else happened to be on the floor when mother said to "pick up the room". The toybox fondly remembers those days, knowing he was a valuable part of the family. But children don't stay young forever and there came a day when the toybox was ignored having been replaced by school books, a computer, and car keys.
Now, after years of being in storage, he finds himself in an unfamiliar place. Why would he be sitting in a garage beside an electric sander, paint cans and tiny brushes? It isn't long before the mother, who originally requested his "construction", a bit older but with the same smile, sits down beside him and begins to tenderly smooth out his rough exterior. Could he be needed again? Is it possible there are once more children in the house?
After several days of sanding, painting, and stenciling, the toy box is ready to take his place in the room of the mother's grandson! The words which have been stenciled onto the exterior of the toy box are character traits the mother prays will be stamped into the heart her grandson: love, hope, faith, believe, and joy. Contentment fills the heart of the toy box as he once again feels a useful member of the family!"
Now, this tale, although a bit silly, does remind me of the importance of family legacy. We all pass down things to our children. My father exemplified love, hope, faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that, not the toy box, is his true legacy to his great-grandson! Thank-you, Dad!
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