1 Kings 15:3-4, 11 King Abijam committed the same sins as his father before him, and he was not faithful to the Lord his God, as his ancestor David had been. But for David’s sake, the Lord his God allowed his descendants to continue ruling, shining like a lamp, and he gave Abijam a son [Asa] to rule after him. . . Asa did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight.
I know several people who are deeply involved with exploring their family’s genealogies. And on our family vacation a couple of weeks ago our daughter asked Dave and me questions about our parents’ and grandparents’ stories. Beyond curiosity, do these stories matter? Yes. Whether we know it or not, our lives are impacted, for good or ill, by the thousands of choices made by those who came before us in our family tree.
What I love about this Scripture passage is the reminder that each of us can make our own choices. We can change our family story, as King Asa did.
This summer and fall as I’ve been privileged to visit many of my extended family members, I am rejoicing to see all the wonderful ways each one is choosing to change our family’s story—for good! Shining like a lamp . . .
Debra Kornfield 
Understanding our past is absolutely key to understanding ourselves. If we don’t understand our past, we are bound to repeat parts of it that we’d rather not pass on! My Mom was a great example of what psychologists call “a transition person”. She never heard the words “I love you” her entire life from her Mom or Dad whose parents emigrated from Germany and were not affectionate. She decided her kids, should she have any, would hear those words every day of their lives. And she held true to that. As a result, I grew up feeling deeply loved. Thank You, Lord! Thank you, Mom!
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