By Jim Mettenbrink
Life! Your life! There is nothing more important to you than your life. How you prepare for it and how you live it will largely determine your earthly happiness and ultimately your eternity. Recently, I read a book called Frozen in Time: A Study of Generations, which was about the differences of one generation from another. At any given time there are at least five generations living in our society. And there are real differences. 
About 100 years ago, when my grandpa wanted to put up a windmill so they would not need to pump water by hand to fill the tank for the cattle, my great-grandfather thought it was a waste of money. Still, shortly a windmill was installed. Several decades later, my dad and grandfather had a disagreement when Dad bought a power-driven feeder wagon to feed the 400 head of beef cattle. Until that day, Grandpa would not allow a tractor near the cattle, so he still used mules to pull an old steel-wheeled wagon and unloaded the feed in the feedbunks scoop shovel by scoop shovel. Indeed, each generation can get stuck in a rut as to how to do things. So the previous generations are sometimes called “old fogeys.” However, it is a serious error to simply dismiss older generations and thereby fail to learn from the experiences throughout their lives. 
Oh, how I wish I knew what I know now when I was your age. At 16, your parents just “don’t understand you.” By age 20, your parents begin to get smart. In a few decades you will wish Dad and Mom were still here so you could ask them for advice. Many, if not most, folks, no longer have grandparents by the time they are in their late 20s or early 30s. I was fortunate. Although one grandfather was 58 when I was born, he lived until I was 38. My other grandfather lived until I was 41. My son, now 43, still asks me for advice. As a boy I loved listening to my grandfathers in discussion with their peers (mostly farmers) and with my parents. So much to ponder, so much to learn! Aside from their wisdom, the trait I remember most is their patience, a patience that we as parents usually do not have, likely because parents are still too young. It seems as parents we are so busy providing for, and rearing, our children that a lot of the vitals of living are not passed on, if we even know these vitals as young parents ourselves.  
But grandparents! Now that’s another story. I can hardly begin to tell you of the maturing, the great growth in wisdom, that has occurred from the time I was 50 until now (66). That is why I often rely on my two close mentors––both 79 years of life experience –––13 years more than I have and 20-25 more years as faithful Christians. Both have been and/or are elders and have been preaching for over 50 years. One has been a missionary in three countries, a teacher in a preacher’s school, author of Biblical materials and books, and a pulpit preacher that entire time, and is still an elder and preaching and teaching class each Sunday––79 years and ripe with maturity and wisdom. The other mentor was an elder, preacher and publisher of Christian books and journals, including Christian Bible Teacher. Indeed, it is a great privilege to have such wisdom at hand. No wonder, God assigns the responsibility of shepherding His church to “elders” (aged men). It is my firm conviction, as well as that of my close mentors, that no man should become an elder before age 50. One of them firmly believes a man should be 60 years old before becoming an elder. And they are grandfathers and great-grandfathers!  
My first experience as a father began at age 23. My second was as a stepfather which began with teens when I was 53. Although I was reared in a home that “went to church” and four years of my middle school education was in a religious school, my true interest in following Jesus, and initial contact with the church of Christ, began when I was 26. I became a Christian when I was 28. At age 51, I became a grandfather and had been a Christian nearly 25 years. Some of my parenting was the same, but much of it was different because of the Christian growth and the experiences of life. In both experiences my primary focus was that the boys would be faithful Christians, responsible men and citizens, honorable husbands, and loving fathers. Some of this influence was done by example and some by direct teaching, much of which was about day-to-day living and what to expect when they left home. As young parents, much of our influence “rubs off” on our children in rearing them. (Children are very observant of our conduct.) However, as grandparents, we become more like mentors, imparting wisdom. The purpose for writing these “What would Grandpa say?” notes, is that I love you and want you to be the best Christian you can be in every aspect of life, so you can have a greater measure of happiness on earth as you journey through this life on your way to Heaven. Also so you can glorify Jesus to the utmost in your life––that you will be a bright light for Him wherever you live, work and go. I’ll be writing to you as a Christian grandpa, not as a preacher, but we will certainly consider the wisdom of God––“the Great Grandpa” of us all. He encourages all of us to “rise before the gray-headed and honor the presence of an old man and fear God; I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:32), and God informs us, “The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31).