Quinceañera and Grandpas – Bible.org Blogs

Next week my granddaughter will have the experience of a lifetime. Her parents are showering her with a major birthday celebration called a Quinceañera that she might experience a tradition associated with her Spanish heritage. Coming from the northeast I have much to learn and I have attempted to know more about this event and why it is so very important to my daughter in law who is from Puerto Rico. Interestingly, I learned that it marks my granddaughter’s transition from childhood to womanhood and the coming-of-age rituals that mark a woman’s independence. One of the traditions is to have her shoes changed from flats to heels, dance the first dance with her father and to be given a Bible showing the world that this is not just a birthday but a birthday with a spiritual emphasis.

Recently I had a week with son’s family and especially my granddaughter. One of the wonderful gifts she gave me was her willingness to obey, her willingness to please this “old” grandfather of hers. I noted her bedroom needed a tad bit of cleaning and I encouraged her to do so. She did in fact please me with her obedience to that task and that made this Grandpa proud and pleased.

But, back to the event at hand. So how do I fit into all of this? This grandfather has an important role in that I have been asked to present her with the spiritual side of this celebration by giving her a “grown up” Bible, a prayer and a word of spiritual wisdom. I have yet to compose my words of spiritual advice but my wife has already begun. She has collated the verses she has chosen each school year since Christina began school with a focus praying for her character development. Here is one of her examples from Prov 30:24-28

There are four things on earth that are small, but they are exceedingly wise: (the character trait that year was on wisdom)

As I prepare for this exciting event in my granddaughter’s life, I pray that I might take to heart that I am but one of her spiritual advisors and may God give me grace to present her with just the right spiritual advice as she walks the road to be a mature lady, wise in the things of the Lord being able to make decisions that please God Col 1:10.

ants are creatures with little strength, but they prepare their food in the summer; Prov 30:25
- (character trait of diligence to work in anticipation of future needs, thus to not wait to accomplish chores, school work but prepare for the future by making provision ahead of time. The ant also may suggest storing up these sayings to have them ready on one’s lips when needed, as Jesus did in having the Book of the Law on His lips to defeat the devil.)
rock badgers are creatures with little power, but they make their homes in the crags; Prov 30:26
- (character trait of discernment a crag is a steep, rugged rock, projecting out of a huge rock, thus one can find safety in the cleft of the rock as we are to find safety in Christ the rock)
locusts have no king, but they all go forward by ranks; Prov 30:27
- (here the character trait of teamwork – and symbolizing strength as one follows Christ in all duties and adds friends who can build up one-another in the Faith)
a lizard you can catch with the hand, gets into the palaces of the king. Prov 30:28
- (from the locust one can learn not to be a maverick but to prevail in community. And yes, wonder of wonders, a person, though nothing more than a lizard, may live in a royal palace, even the ivory palace of heaven.)

Post Views: 1,321