A Great Heritage
I love the word heritage. I love the richness of it’s meaning, the virtue of it in our lives and the hope it holds for the future. I think it’s a great word, but until I got married, I never really understood it. My husband, Steve is a wonderful man and comes from a wonderful family that is rich in its Christian heritage. From stories of a great-great-great grandmother who prayed daily that her children and their children for generations would continue to serve the Lord, to beautiful traditions and great love, Steve’s family on both his mother and father’s sides benefit from a heritage that runs deep.
Yesterday, I once again had the privilege of participating in that rich family heritage when we traveled to Birmingham to Steve’s Aunt Joyce’s home to meet up with his mom and dad and all of his mom’s sisters (from Texas and Kentucky). We had a great time of fellowship (and food!) and it was great to see my daughters interact with their distant Aunts, Uncles & Cousins, meeting some of them for the very first time.
One of the definitions of the word heritage is, “practices that are handed down from the past by traditions.” And, one of the Parish/Skaggs (Steve’s mom’s maiden name) traditions is what’s known as “Gospel Singin’ ” (pronounced correctly as Gospel Sangin’ -don’t forget the twang on “sang”) this practice occurs commonly at family gatherings…. the instruments get pulled out .. pianos or guitars or maybe even a banjo every now and then, and old traditional hymns are sang for sometimes hours as family members weave in and out of the singing, back and forth between conversation, laughter and food. It’s a relaxed, happy time, full of joy and jest. It’s a part of the heritage of our family that draws a common thread of unity among us whenever we gather from distances far and wide to fellowship. It is something that we all love and it rings of what it just might be like one day, as we gather in heaven, singing praises to our God side-by-side with all of our brothers and sisters.
Another definition of the word heritage is, “any attribute or immaterial possession that is inherited from ancestors.” I love that definition. Love is another great heritage that is passed down from this family - love both for one another and for Our Father in heaven. It is a completely intangible and immaterial possession that is of a greater value than anything that could ever be given.
It is this type of heritage that I love and want to see continue in my daughter’s lives and the lives of their children, for generations to come.
Click below to see a video of one of my favorite songs from yesterday’s family BBQ… enjoy.
Thankful for a great heritage,
Here are some links to other songs and pictures from yesterday:
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