The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Acts 2:17, “…And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams.”

Psalm 71:17-18, “O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth; And I still declare Thy wondrous deeds.

18 And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Thy strength to this generation, Thy power to all who are to come.”

I have coupled these two verses because they express precisely what lies before each of us. As young people, we had visions of what could happen and how our lives would fit with those occurrances. As an old man, I look back over my life, how it was lived and what was and was not accomplished.

As a child, I was blessed with godly parents. Their lives were filled with love for each other and for me.

They displayed before me the life they wanted me to live. I was taught verbally and by example. From my mother, I was taught to behave properly, to dress properly, and to treat others properly. From my dad, I was taught not to be anxious, not to take everything too seriously, and to work diligently at the tasks set before me.

Hopefully, I still retain and dispense those things the LORD set before me through my parents. They loved the LORD and served Him according to His plan for their lives. I was taught to trust the LORD, absorb His Word, and love and treat others as He (and they) treated me. Nor am I through attending to the responsibilites He has set before me. Writing this letter is but a portion of that responsibility.

I am now as the psalmist describes: “old and gray.” Yet, the LORD has never forsaken me, nor shall He as long as I run my course. I am here to tell you to follow Him without hesitation or reservation! Live in His Word; live as if you alone were responsible for telling others about Him and His saving grace. I must confess that I have often slipped from the standards my parents displayed before me. Nor am I the standard you are to follow. Yet, I trust that my life might serve in some small way to encouraging you to look to the Supreme Standard of our LORD Jesus Christ, and model you life after Him. Never walk in fear! Always walk in faith! Learn of Him and from Him. You have a heritage in the LORD!

We love and pray for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”