Great-Grandfathers and Legacy

Dennis and I have connections that go before we were even born.

My Great-grandfather was a "tent-revival" preacher in an area in SE Kansas. He had 10 children, 5 boys and 5 girls. The boys would build a wooden arbor to hold the revival under, and the girls would sing as one of them played the piano. Dennis's Great-grandfather was a pastor of a church in the same area where my Great-grandfather preached, so I am quite certain that they knew of one another, maybe even knew each other well.

My Granny and Dennis's Grandma walked to grade school together, and my dad and his dad graduated from the same school in the same class. Shortly after that graduation, Dennis's dad moved to California, vowing to never come back to Kansas. However, when Dennis's Grandpa died, he felt as though he should come back to be closer to Dennis's Grandma. They lived in a small town not too far from mine, but it wasn't until about 4-5 years later that they moved to my hometown. We went to school together, and the rest, as they say, is history.

I've been pondering the last few years about this fact of our Great-grandfathers being preachers of the Word of God. Although I never knew these men, I can assume they loved God. I can assume they would pray for their children and their children's children, as a lot of parents do. So I picture these men on their knees before God in a way praying for US. Then I picture them gone to be with their Father in the great cloud of witnesses that the bible talks of, cheering us on to go for God, to find God when we didn't really know Him. I find that a beautiful picture. For all practical purposes, Dennis and I should have never known each other. I believe it was the hand of God orchestrating each and every decision that was made. And, I believe the prayers of these men were and are being answered.