DESCENDANT
Today's reading: 1 Chronicles 4-6

Descendant-one originating or coming from an ancestral stock or source.

Aah, the genealogies of Israel.

The begats.

The family tree in written form.

I know all about family lines as my family has a very rich (in honor, not in currency) family tree that has been traced back several, and I mean several, branches.

Descendants of mine were the first settlers in our county.

I remember sitting up straighter in class the day in fourth grade our teacher taught 'county history' and my last name was read.

I thought I was something that day!

Royalty, of sorts.

As I read the genealogies of the Bible I think of all that has been passed on to me.

No, not family heirlooms, large estates or crown jewels.

I'm thinking about genetics. Predispositions. Beliefs. Community. Pride. A legacy of strength, perseverance and godliness.

As a child of God, I've been given those things, too, and so much more.

I've been specifically and meticulously placed into a family of believers where I feel free to worship, grow, spend time at the altar and celebrate life. I've been surrounded by brothers and sisters of the same Father.

And I've been given the job of passing it on to the next generation.

And the generation after that.