The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. Psalm 16:6

I may not be rich but I am wealthy when it comes to family. I can remember as a small child being asleep and hearing my mother come into my room to pray. I didn’t understand every word because she was praying in Spanish. But I understood enough to know she was talking to God. She prayed constantly for her family and still does to this day.

I was blessed to know both my maternal and paternal grandmothers. One lived near and the other lived in a different state. I didn’t see them as much as I would have liked to, but I knew they both loved the Lord and their families.

I witnessed firsthand the fruit of the spirit through my grandmother who lived closest to me:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

She exhibited each characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit everyday of her life and taught her children and grandchildren how to do the same just by her example.

The powerful prayers of my grandmother who lived over 1500 miles away reached heaven and touched down in Texas as she prayed for her family’s protection and that we would love God with all our heart and soul:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:5

Both of these adored ladies are in heaven but their legacies live on in their children and grandchildren. One element of their legacy that stands out is the unwavering faith exhibited by my lovely aunts. Their faith can move mountains:

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matthew 17:20

Then there’s the quiet strength of the men in our family. They don’t go around flexing their muscles, physical or spiritual, but they quietly show these strengths through their acts of love and service to their family:

The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2

There is no perfect family. But when you glimpse into your family tree you will see your family’s gifts and strengths in God and it all comes together to create the perfect fit for you.

Some may be wondering, “What if I don’t have this heritage in my family tree?” Your Heavenly Father has already taken care of this:

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)

Your Heavenly Father will place people in your life to pray for you, to bless you and to encourage you.

And if you have a family of your own, you can leave a goodly heritage for generations to come:

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; Psalm 103:17