A Grandfather's Prayer

A Grandfather’s Prayer...
William R. Wilkie

Dr. William R. Wilkie

Copyright © 2009

Copies cannot be made without permission

Go4th Foundation
471 W. Long Lake Drive
Harrison, Michigan 48625
(989) 339-4998
wwilkie at netscope.com

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Acknowledgement to Contributors
cknowledgement Contributors
Feel free to SHARE this e-Book with anyone who you think might benefit from it or quote it in
the media.

Thanks to Carol Davis who has encouraged me regarding the somewhat unusual experiences
Carolyn and I have provided for our children. Carol has challenged me to share these with you.

My extended family believes that God is on the move as it relates to the pivotal 4th grade or nine
year old experiences both positive and negative. We have ample annecdotal information to see
patterns that often last a lifetime. We are indebted to Bobb Biehl who first introduced us to the
concept and then challenged us to create a camp for nine year olds as well as follow-up
experiences and materials for parents. See www.go4thcamps.ning.com

God is on the move. To give life to the grandfather’s prayer, “May God be as original with my
grand children as he as been with me,” we asked grandfathers across the world to give us
ACTION ITEMS that would be included in a collection.

This is a collection written by those Grand-dads and PaPas. Thank you!

Cover designed by John Tiechman.

Preface

Oswald Chambers wrote,
“Let God be as original with you as he as been with others.”

I have adapted that prayer for grandfathers around the world,
“May God be as original with my grand children as he has been with me.”

I now have eight grand chidren and I try to give legs to that prayer periodically by

-Watching carefully after their first birthday to discover the clues regarding their passions in life.
-Talking about that passion when we visit or talk on the telephone.
-Giving gifts at Christmas and their birthdays consistent with their passions.
-Identiting and organizing experiences and encounters around their passion.

When my granddaughter Scout was seven years old and on her way to Grandfather Martin’s ranch
for six weeks, she said to me, “Papa I know that you do not share my passion for horses like
Grandpa Martin. But you always have a passion for helping me with my passion. Thank you!”

Well grandfather, there is a role for you to play during the pivotal 4th grade that will never be
forgotten because they are acquiring the mind of an adult. Even if you do not share their passion
and mission in life, this book is filled with ACTION ITEMS for you and your grandchild.

Table of Contents

37 Trips… 73
Go4th Passions… 1 Core Values…
-Contribution #1… 75
-Contribution #1… 3 -Contribution #1… 39
-Contribution #2... 77
-Contribution #2... 5 -Contribution #2... 41
Special People… 81
Biblical Passages… 9
-Contribution #1... 11 Spiritual... 47

55 Important Other… 91
Events… 19 Books: spiritual & other…
71 Observations... 105
-Contribution #8... 35 -Contribution #8...

Go4th assions
Go4th Passions
This section is dedicated to principles and examples of how we can identify and
support the unique passions of our 4th grade grandchildren in the context of the
Father’s mission in this world.

So what are the many, varied and unusual ways that you have become involved
in the lives and passions of your grandchildren.

What do you look for?

What are the questions you ask?

And give us some examples of working with a 4th grader and their passion as
well as the impact.

1

I am happy for you?

Cole, shy of 9-years by a smidgeon, expresses strong emotions when he invents
a dance, prepares a speech, or sings a favorite tune. His heart stirs with
performance. He asks Papa to watch, to listen to his performance which, of
course, is his heart. He repeats.

I stay focused in the midst of a busy home. I refrain from suggestions, though
I am a performer too. The boy only needs my heart leant attention. His soul
requires encouragement to find his own way, to be his gifts, to know the graces
forming inside.

I watch, and smile, and clap, and speak of what I know is true, “Cole, you look
so happy. I am happy for you!”

Rick Scheideman

Biblical Passages
Passages The passages are
Genesis chapters 1-3
This section is dedicated to iden-
John chapters 12-17
tifying Biblical passages that have
Colossians chapters 1-4
special meaning to you and your
life. For example, I have con-
What are your sections of the
cluded that a teen who compre-
Bible that you would like them to
hends, even though they might not
remember. When you are gone,
agree with passage or be willing
they should be able to say, N”My
to make a commitment, just 13
grandfather’s favorate passages of
chapters of the Bible will have a
the Bible were...”
great foundation and understand-
ing of what Christ and the Father
Write out the passages with a
were all about. These chapters
brief description of why they are
should be read several times dur-
important to you.
ing the 4th grade. You should also
discuss them and the implications.
9

Events
-Special events are points to remember.

-They should be done with just one grandchild.

-They should be at least one day in length.

-Send us a picture or two if you have them.

19

After Dinner Coffee

My wife and I are fortunate to get our grandson James for a week or two or three
each year. When he was here celebrating his third birthday, his aunt and uncle,
girl cousin and her grandparents all came to the house. My son-in-law, his father
and I were sitting on the porch having coffee. James was left in the house with
all ‘girls’. After looking at us and checking out the folks he was with he made
the decision that ‘guys’ have coffee on the porch and decided that was the place
for him. My wife made him some special ‘coffee’, consisting of milk, and he
was happy to be part of the male fraternity, sitting around with the guys and dis-
cussing whatever the topic was at the moment.

Since then, whenever he is visiting, he and I always have our coffee on the porch
after dinner. We get to discuss whatever is on his mind, which can range from
swimming, to school, to the park, or anything he wants to talk about. It is a
magical time for me and hopefully for him. I know he feels pretty special just to
have the two of us spending time together. And if he thinks it is a special time
for him, I’m sure at his age he has no idea how special it is for me.

I think the greatest gift a grandfather can give his grandchildren is his time.
Sometimes during those times grandfathers can also slip in some philosophy,
lessons learned from a longer life, and ideas on what it means to be, and what is
expected of a male member of our family. Which is honesty, integrity, and love
of family and country. It sounds simple and yet in some ways it can be very
complex for a young boy. I just pray that some of it sticks.

John McKay

Core Values
Thom Wolf, the former pastor of the Church on Brady, observes that if you have
more than five elements most people will not remember them.

We want to identify 3-5 core values that all of us should introduce or reinforce
with the 4th grader.

What are your three along with a brief explanation?

Or you can give us one and we will select the best three from the group.

27

Grandchildren Want to be Known

After having two of my three grandchildren on a weekend, I’m always amazed at
how much fun we have at my house equipped with so few electronic gadgets or
sophisticated toys. We busy ourselves with handmade (cheesy) crafts, build
puzzles, play dress-up and make up corny stories during bath time.

What hearty laughter we share only to end the day with quiet pillow talk where
they tend to share the things that sometimes trouble their little hearts.

They want to be known...

What great opportunity and impact grandparents have by just listening!

Anonymous ,

Spiritual
Each of us has spiritual experiences that we should share:

Write one or more out and give it to each grandchild during the 4th grade with a description of
why it is important.

Please write out one or more of these experiences that we might share with others.

47

Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day Devotion

On Thanksgiving day, the seven grandchildren ages 2,4, 13,13,13, and 14 plus two sixty five year
old grandparents were worshipping God and praising him for our blessings. Hayden, the five
year old, quickly answered my question, “What is our greatest blessing?” “With Jesus!” This
led to several questions as to why, “He loves me!” so? “I can go to heaven” why? “Because He
died for me!” and? “He took my sins!” What does that do for you? “I can go to God’s heaven,
because He took my sins!”

All four of the older grandkids knew the answers & the promise, but they let, no, they wanted to
hear their young cousin proudly tell what he had learned at day care. The devotion ended with
each of us praying a personal thank you to Jesus.

What was special to me was the first devotional on Wednesday interrupted the usual play time.
I was concerned that they did not appreciate or listen to the devotional. On thanksgiving, they
were all tousling and out of the clear asked papa when we were going to have our devotional?
Shortly after the devotional, all of us were crowded around the Thanksgiving table. Before our
Thanksgiving prayer, I asked Hayden what was special about Thanksgiving and Jesus. His an-
swer amazed his parents as well as surpassed their knowledge of Jesus in our lives. That Thanks-
giving still is a landmark in reaching worldly focused young parents. Time taken to open the
Word of God with our grandkids exceeded our greatest expectations. Don’t miss your chances!
Gary Stephens

Books
Classics--”To Kill a Mocking Bird”

My favorite genre--”Dune in Science Fiction”

Children’s--

Chapter Books--

Spiritual for Children

Spiritual for Adult

Give us your category and your favorite list in each category along with a brief
description or review.

57

Literary Heros
¨How does one introduce a 9-year old to a literary hero?”

One evening after supper, the family lingered at the table in conversation and,
now and then, ‘cast a warning toward the boys to stop their bickering.’ I looked
at the oldest, an emerging child becoming a youngster and it suddenly occurred
to me, Mark Twain.

I called Cole to my side, leaned back in my chair, and began a portion of a reci-
tation I
memorized as a one-man show of Sam Clemens. The folks around the table
hushed.

My grandson was unsure at first, then smiled and finally expressed the slack-jaw
of
concentration.

Trips
This section deals with either

Trips you have taken or

Trips you would like to take with a grandchild.

It can be either the same trip for all grand children or a special but different trip
for each one.

An example that Carolyn and I shared over New Years was the idea of taking
each grandchild to see the Rose Bowl Parade in California along with seeing
their great grandparents.

73

Trips to Anywhere
Anywhere
In 2008 we initiated a new tradition. We offer to each grandkid at age ten a trip
to anywhere in the continental U.S.A. with Mimi and Opa. Just the three of us.
A few weeks ago we enjoyed the first trip with our oldest grandson. What a
treat! He planned it and made most of the decisions once we were in San Diego
seeing all the fascinating things he had chosen. When Mimi asked him to rate
the week on a scale of 1 to 10, he replied, “It was 100!” Does that bless grand
parents or what?!

A week later, staying in his house in Virginia, our second grandson came down
early to celebrate his 9th birthday before we left for our home in Phoenix. “I
was awake at 4:00 A.M.,” he announced. I asked him why. “I was thinking
about where my trip should be next year,” he replied.

This is another affirmation that a special trip with each grandchild is a good idea.

Bob Andringa

Special People
Each of us has special people in our lives. For many of us it will be our

4th grade teacher.

For others, it will be a relative.

For some, it will be a best friend or mentor.

If they are still living, go have lunch with them and introduce them to your
grandchild and tell the grandchild why they were important.

Describe a special person for us and why.

81

Important Other
The best ideas are often one’s we did not think of and grow out of your own
personal experience.
Please write out a description of one or more important others for us.

Thanks for your help in joining “God on the move.”

91

Observations
Observations from Grandfathers
“Each one of these three little gems is so unique. Just as with our two sons, we
see how God’s design can be identified in the first couple years of life and yet
continues to unfold. Can we now identify each one’s gifts, passions and
motivations? Yes, to some extent. Can we provide experiences, give a creative
and relevant gift, and say the right things to encourage the best of them? Yes,
to some extent. But our greatest influence with the grandkids is probably the
investment we made in raising their father.”
Bob Andringa


If you are interested in Bill Wilkie speaking, conducting half day workshops
for parents or attending a Go4th camp,
please contact us: wwilkie at netscope.com

A Grandfather's Prayer

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