我們圍坐在餐桌旁，九歲的孫子開心地笑著說：「我跟祖母一樣，愛讀書！」他的話讓我心花怒放。我不禁想起了前年他生病休學在家的情景。那時，每當他午睡醒來之後，我會坐在他身邊陪他讀書。我母親熱愛閱讀，而現在我孫子也像我一樣愛讀書，能將這種對閱讀的熱愛傳遞下去，令我十分欣慰。

但這並不是我最想要傳承給孫輩的。我懇求上帝，讓我將自己從父母那裡繼承的基督信仰，不僅傳承給我的孩子們，還能讓我的孫兒們也踏上天路之旅。

提摩太承襲他敬虔的母親與外祖母的基督信仰，也承接了屬靈導師使徒保羅的教導。保羅寫道：「想到你心裡無偽之信，這信是先在你外祖母羅以和你母親友妮基心裡的，我深信也在你的心裡。」（提摩太後書1章5節）

或許我們會認為，自己的生命並不足以成為別人的好榜樣。或許，我們的父執輩並沒有留下良好的典範。然而，將基督信仰傳承給我們的子女、孫兒或年輕的一代永不嫌遲。我們藉由上帝的幫助，種下信心的種子，而使人信心成長的卻是我們的上帝（哥林多前書3章6-9節）。

We were seated around the dinner table when my nine-year-old grandson said with a smile, “I’m just like Grandma. I love to read!” His words brought joy to my heart. I thought back to the year before when he’d been sick and stayed home from school. After he took a long nap, we sat together side by side reading. I was happy to be passing along the legacy of loving books that I’d received from my mother.

But that’s not the most important legacy I want to pass on to my grandchildren. I pray the legacy of faith I received from my parents and sought to pass on to my children will also help my grandchildren in their journey toward faith.

Timothy had the legacy of a godly mother and grandmother—and a spiritual mentor, the apostle Paul. The apostle wrote, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5).

We may think our lives haven’t been positive enough to be a good example for others. Maybe the legacy passed down to us wasn’t a good one. But it’s never too late to build a legacy of faith into our children, grandchildren, or any child’s life. Through God’s help, we plant seeds of faith. He’s the one who makes faith grow (1 Corinthians 3:6-9).