Isaiah 58:12 "Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."

I love to travel. One of my favorite destinations is old ruins, especially in England and France. Castles that used to stand tall and strong. Built on foundations made to last.

Due to the destructive forces of war and weather, many of these ruins have not been kept up, not restored. They have been laid waste by the ravages of time.

Just like a castle without upkeep and care, water and mold can seep into cracks in the foundation of families, into weaknesses created by holes in the walls. Eventually the structures collapse, especially if they are not tended to.

The Bible is clear about how the Lord feels about water seeping into the walls of families. "...For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments." (Exodus 20:5-7 NKJV)

This scripture gives a clear picture of God's purpose in allowing sin to visit and stay with a family as long as they enter in and not break the cycle.

In psychological terms, the Lord is talking about generational sin, those actions, beliefs, patterns, and behaviors inherent in families. Abuse, addictions, adultery, anger, rage, idolatry, money extremes, pride, rebellion, and sexual sin are just a few of the issues that become habitual if not dealt with in families.

Seeing family issues on paper can be helpful in the healing process. When I was in graduate school we diagramed family issues as an assignment, the good and the bad. By seeing patterns and behaviors on paper we got a clear picture of the generational issues being passed down in our own families.

God is clear about these issues. If not resolved and brought to the light, the Lord's healing power has no opportunity to work. A cycle of sin develops, embedded in the walls of the family castle. They are then passed down to the third and fourth generations. Just as a brick and mortar crumble in a castle, so, too, do foundations in a family fall.

Only with God's help can the ancient ruins be restored.

As a grandmother, I want to be a restorer of those walls--the one who heals and breaks the cycle of sin. Dealing with my own issues as they rise and beg to be healed is one way to begin the healing process. As women we have the opportunity, along with the Great Physician, to be repairers of that breach.

In my family, alcoholism has been a generational issue. By bringing it into the light, through awareness and monitoring my own behavior, I am better able to educate my children and grandchildren about the risk they face. Dealing with it head on, together we can break the cycle of alcoholism in my family.

In his 8 Stages of Psychosocial Development the psychologist Erik Erikson gives us a key to the castle. He states that as adults reach ages forty to sixty-five, we enter into the developmental stage called generativity where we must find a way to satisfy and support the next generation. If we do not choose to heal from our own issues and move forward, we will stagnate and die.

As a grandmother I have a bird's-eye view of these family dynamics, for I now reside in the tower, the highest and longest point in the castle. As the matriarch I am in a position to be a generative force which means I have the opportunity to originate, produce, or procreate life in my family.

Of course God knew this from the beginning for he exhorts us to forgive seventy times seven, to give rather to receive, and to go the extra mile. The good news is that he promises to draw near to those who draw near to him, and to love those who love and keep his commandments. As believers we must build our foundation on this rock.

So let us organize our repair kits and gather our tools. Working alongside the Great Restorer himself, we can heal the ancient ruins, rebuilding and repairing the wall of our families and the castles of this great country.

Marty Norman is a wife, mother, and grandmother of five, who lives in Fort Worth, Texas. You can learn more about her at:

www.martynorman.com

http://martynorman.blogspot.com

http://savvygrandmothers.blogspot.com

Her book, Generation G - Advice For Grandmothers Who Will Never Go Gray, can be purchased at local bookstores or www.amazon.com.