Last Sunday, my husband and I attended the Lockport Outdoor Arts & Crafts Festival. It was hot and breezy, and we were delighted by the return of this annual event. At one point, we couldn’t resist stepping into an open antique shop to take a look. Instantly, it was like stepping back into a time that was somehow familiar. Delicate china, sparkling crystal, lace wedding dresses, table cloths and blankets, sterling silver tea sets and flatware, Victorian books of poetry, ladies’ silver hair brush-and-mirror sets, scented sachets and soaps, and jewelry all filled this wonderful shop. I found myself overwhelmed with memories.
I remember seeing these kinds of classic items in my grandmother’s house. I remember seeing this brand of beauty on my mother’s dresser, in my great aunt’s living room. I remember reading, from fragrant pages, the poetry and artwork of generations past, and hearing melodies from childhood that I once knew. It is amazing to me that all these precious things once belonged to people of a different era. It’s a blessing that such a delightful antique shop exists on Main Street, right in the heart of downtown. I am sure to return.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, an heirloom is “a valuable object that has belonged to a family for generations.” The word “inherit” means “to be willed, or to derive a quality, characteristic, or predisposition genetically from one’s parents or ancestors, or to receive an object from a predecessor or former owner.”
I recently passed on the lovely baby layette that once belonged to our middle son to his son: a beautiful white ruffled crib set and wall decoration with a smiling teddy bear, holding a bouquet of pastel balloons. It occurred to me that every heirloom had a beginning, and the memories that accompany the object should be shared. I included a note describing the memories and love that went into preparing the nursery before our son ever drew his first breath.
As much as I enjoy family heirlooms, and heritage, I love even more the legacy of faith that was passed onto me by an ancestry of believers in Christ. This is a legacy that has eternal benefits. My heartfelt prayer is that all of those who come after me in this life will open their hearts and receive God’s precious gift through Christ Jesus the Lord. Faith is an heirloom worth sharing.
Jackie Davis is an experienced inspirational vocalist, musician and music instructor. Her column is published in the Union-Sun & Journal every other Friday.
Heirlooms
Up in the attic, down on my knees.
Lifetimes of boxes, timeless to me.
Letters and photographs, yellowed with years,
Some bringing laughter, some bringing tears.
Time never changes, the memories, the faces
Of loved ones who bring to me,
All that I come from, and all that I live for,
and all that I’m going to be.
My precious family is more than an heirloom to me.
Wisemen and shepherds, down on their knees,
Bringing their treasures to lay at his feet.
Who was this wonder, baby yet king?
Living and dying, He gave life to me.
Time never changes, the memory, the moment
His love first pierced through me,
Telling all that I came from, And all that I live for,
and all that I’m going to be.
My precious Savior is more than an heirloom to me.
My precious Jesus is more than an heirloom to me
— Written by Amy Grant, Bob Farrell, Brown Bannister and Elliott B. Bannister
