Being a family of four now means that we not only sound old, but some of our lifestyle habits are quite a bit different than they were just a few years back. We get invited to things now that are totally impossible for us to attend because of our kid schedules and it is a funny reminder to us of what parenthood is truly like. But many people overlook how cool being a parent makes you. A few of my friends sent me this video and it is funny how much I can relate.

I’ve often heard parents talk about how selfishness doesn’t have to be taught to kids. The illustration is usually given about kids using the word “mine.” The point is that they learn this concept naturally and parents have to teach them how to not say it.

So I’ve been waiting for those types of moments with Gavin. But surprisingly, I realized that there is a different phase that comes before the “mine” phase. Gavin loves to go around and give people his toys. I can be sitting in a chair reading and in a matter of moments half of his collection of toys will be in my lap. Even as I write this he is handing me things.

So my parental question is: which is truly in our nature if this is what comes first? Now, maybe not all kids experience it in this order, but it has got me thinking. I wonder if we are naturally selfless but we unlearn that as we get older?

My friend Paul recently sent me an article about the legacy of the famous preacher Jonathan Edwards. Edwards and his wife had 11 children, and it has been noted that those 11 children and their children on down have made some pretty major impacts in our world.

“The scholar Benjamin B. Warfield of Princeton has charted the 1,394 known descendents of Edwards. What he found was an incredible testament to Jonathan Edwards. Of his known descendents there were 13 college presidents, 65 college professors, 30 judges, 100 lawyers, 60 physicians, 75 army and navy officers, 100 pastors, 60 authors of prominence, 3 United States senators, 80 public servants in other capacities including governors and ministers to foreign countries, and one vice-president of the United States.”

Impressive. But how does that affect us as parents today?

“The story of Jonathan Edwards is an example of what some sociologists call the ‘five-generation rule.’ How a parent raises their child – the love they give, the values they teach, the emotional environment they offer, the education they provide – influences not only their child but the four generations to follow. What fathers do, in other words, will reach through the next five generations.”

This is a pretty sobering and challenging thought to consider. What will your legacy look like in 5 generations? It also adds a whole new dimension to the idea of seed prayers that I’ve blogged about before.