By Diana Rivadeneira

I’m going to be a grandmother- now what?

I’m going to be a grandmother- now what? This was my very first thought when my daughter Valentina and her husband, Gustavo, gave us the wonderful news! Following quickly on the heels of this unspoken question was do I even know how to be one. I know I am going to be a grandparent but do I really know what that fully entails.

And it wasn’t because I wasn’t happy about the news… I was thrilled! But that one thought immediately led me to even many other thoughts about the different stages of my life and made me question so many things I had not done in the past.

I never learned how to be a wife, and that contributed to my marriage going through a crisis in our tenth year of marriage. I didn’t prepare myself to be a mother either, and today I understand that because of the unconditional love that comes with bringing children into this world and, above all, because of God’s mercy, I believe I did the best I could through both my mistakes and my successes. At least… that’s what my children tell me.

But there is one thing I know for sure: preparing ourselves for every crucial stage of life is extremely important. And I’m not talking about just any kind of preparation. We need to make sure we are receiving the best teaching: the faithful teaching, the true teaching, the kind that leaves a lasting imprint on the hearts of those we love. And that… that can only come from our Heavenly Father.

Becoming a Grandmother Made Me Ask Some Big Questions

So I believe my original question was a very valid one: “I’m going to be a grandmother… now what?”

I didn’t want to look back once again and feel that I could have done better if only I had known God’s principles from the beginning. Well, actually, I did know them, but I wasn’t living by them, and that is almost the same as not knowing them at all. Knowing God’s principles is important, but allowing them to transform the way we live, the decisions we make, and the way we relate to others is something entirely different.

When we find ourselves asking questions like the one I asked at the beginning, we naturally tend to look for answers or guidance in our own family history.

Why preparing for grandparenthood matters

I come from Hispanic families on both my mother’s and father’s sides, with the exception of my maternal grandfather, who was of European descent. When I look back on my childhood, I can say that my paternal grandparents did not have much influence in my life. My grandfather died relatively young, and I never had the opportunity to know him. My grandmother lived here in the United States while we lived in Ecuador, so the distance prevented me from truly knowing her and developing a close relationship with her.

The legacy my grandmother and mother planted in me

In the case of my maternal grandparents, my grandfather also died when I was a little girl, and I didn’t spend much time with him. My grandmother, however, had a very important influence on my life.

She was a Christian woman of great faith. She constantly talked to me about God, introduced me to Jesus, told me stories from the Bible, and I remember listening to her sing hymns, along with many other things that became part of my childhood.

Yes, I grew up in a Christian home because of my mother—my father was not a believer at that time—but it was primarily my mother and my grandmother who influenced me by planting those “seeds” that God would one day allow to grow.

Seeds of Faith can take years to grow

They probably could not see at the time everything God would eventually do with those seeds. And that is precisely what is so beautiful about a legacy: many times, we plant something whose fruit we may not see immediately. However, the seed remains there, waiting for the moment when God allows it to grow.

So, as you can see, I knew about God, but I did not have a relationship with God.

Culturally, in Latin America, during my childhood and teenage years, being a “Christian” was considered unusual by many people. Catholicism was the religion practiced by the majority of the population, and I didn’t have many friends who had been raised with the same kind of faith upbringing that I had.

Another aspect related to our Latino culture is the traditional way in which the role of grandparents has often been understood. Many times, grandparents are seen as people who are no longer working and whose main role is simply to become full-time caregivers for their grandchildren, without much planning or preparation. Taking care of the grandchildren is the goal!

And I grew up, in a way, with that belief, mostly because of the generation and culture in which I was raised. People didn’t necessarily talk about preparing to become grandparents, establishing healthy boundaries, supporting parents while respecting their decisions, or, much less, intentionally thinking about the spiritual legacy we can leave to our grandchildren.

There is certainly nothing wrong with grandparents loving, caring for, enjoying, and even spoiling their grandchildren a little. That is part of the joy of being a grandparent, and it is especially familiar to those of us who grew up in Latino families where grandparents are often deeply involved in family life. But I was beginning to understand that our role could be much greater than simply taking care of our grandchildren. There was also an opportunity to influence another generation through our faith, our example, our words, and the way we live.

Knowing about God v. Knowing God

The years went by, and it wasn’t until my husband and I went through a serious crisis in our marriage that I made the decision to truly seek God and surrender my life to Him.

Well… actually, He wasn’t lost! I was the one who was lost, but His immense LOVE found me!

And when God found me, He also began teaching me that our story is not defined only by our mistakes. He can take even our failures, our crises, and those things we wish we had done differently and use them to teach us, transform us, and prepare us for what lies ahead.

So, coming back to the present and to those words, “I’M GOING TO BE A GRANDMOTHER,” I realized that I already had a very important part of the journey in my favor.

My life has belonged to God for many years now, and with Him, I can do this.

That gave me so much hope. And, as has happened with so many things in my life—and I imagine it may be the same for those of you who walk with God—God already had a plan prepared for me.

Discovering Intentional Grandparenting

Everything seemed to come together almost as if by magic… although now I know it wasn’t magic at all. God placed this wonderful ministry, Legacy Coalition, in my path, and it became a kind of preparation—almost like a pregnancy of its own—as I prepared to become a grandmother.

We attended the 2026 Summit in Texas and listened to several sessions that left us excited and eager to continue learning.

As I received all of this teaching, I also began to look at my own story through different eyes. I started to understand that what my grandmother and my mother had done so many years before was exactly what I was now learning about: they had planted something in me. They had left a legacy.

As I reflected on all of this and considered my own life story, I came to recognize something very important: a LEGACY is planted INTENTIONALLY.

I realized that my own story had also been shaped by a legacy. My grandmother and my mother had planted seeds in me many years earlier. Some of those seeds took years to grow, but they were always there.

Grandparents can do more than spoil their grandchildren

And that was exactly what my husband, Eduardo, and I wanted: to prepare ourselves to become intentional grandparents, to support Lily’s parents, and to have the opportunity to make a positive emotional and spiritual impact on the life of our future granddaughter—Lily, as well as all the other grandchildren God may allow to come into our lives—with the purpose of leaving a legacy that will make a lasting impact and, above all, with the hope that one day we will all meet again in Eternity!

Wow! Doesn’t that sound wonderful?

It is certainly a CHALLENGE, yes, but with God’s help, we will continue walking toward that goal.

Preparing to become Intentional Grandparents

During my daughter’s pregnancy, Eduardo and I were also going through our own preparation for this new stage of life. While Valentina was preparing to become a mother, we were preparing to become grandparents.

As you might expect, books and resources about grandparenting suddenly became very interesting to us. We gathered many of these resources at the conferences we attended that I mentioned earlier. We wanted to learn, listen, and understand how we could step into this new role in a different, thoughtful, and intentional way.

It was very exciting when we finally shared with our children this new challenge that had captured our hearts.

Supporting Parents instead of Replacing them

We told them about many of the things we had learned at the Summit and explained what we had begun to understand about intentional grandparenting.

I think that, deep down, they breathed a sigh of relief! Perhaps they were thinking something like, “Well, at least on this side of the family, the grandparents aren’t planning to simply spoil our daughter or allow things we don’t approve of. We won’t have to deal with behaviors that go against the way we want to raise her.”

We made it very clear to them that our intention was to support them as parents and to have a positive emotional and spiritual influence on our granddaughter, while always respecting the decisions they make regarding her upbringing and education.

For us, this is essential. Being grandparents does not mean replacing the parents or competing with them. It doesn’t mean that because we have already raised children, we now have the right to decide how our grandchildren should be raised. Our children are Lily’s parents, and God has entrusted them with the responsibility of raising their daughter.

Building a Positive Emotional and Spiritual Influence

Our role is different. We want to walk alongside them, support them, encourage them, and be available whenever they need us. We want Lily to grow up seeing a family in which parents and grandparents respect and support one another and, above all, share the desire for her to know God.

The truth is that our children felt very happy, reassured, and supported. And for us, knowing that they understood our intentions was very important. We were not only preparing our hearts to receive a granddaughter; we were also beginning to understand how important our relationship with her parents would be in this new stage of our family.

The Day Our Granddaughter Lily Was Born

And then came the moment we had all been waiting for.Now let me tell you what happened on that very special day when she was born…

Lily arrived on September 11, 2026. As I write this article, my granddaughter is only 15 days old.

She came into this world surrounded by many prayers from her parents, grandparents, family, and friends. Our children, Valentina and Gustavo, prayed in faith for things that normally cannot be guaranteed: a quick and not-too-painful delivery, no need to induce labor, for Lily to arrive when God allowed her to come and, above all, for her to be born healthy.

And well… that is exactly what happened.

Prayers answered and a dream fulfilled

Lily came into the world after a labor that lasted only four hours, even though Valentina was a first-time mother, and God graciously answered the rest of those prayers in a wonderful way.

Seeing a dream become reality is an indescribable experience.

It was real…

Lily was there, in our daughter’s arms, and our own eyes could finally see her. We could touch her. She was a beautiful, healthy baby girl.

She was our first granddaughter!

There are moments in life that you wish you could somehow stop for just a few seconds so you could preserve them forever. For me, this was one of those moments. After months of imagining what her face would look like, praying for her, talking about her, and waiting for her arrival, we could finally meet her.

It is difficult to explain everything that goes through your heart in a moment like that. You look at your daughter, who was once the baby you held in your own arms, and suddenly she is holding her own daughter. In front of you, you can almost see the generations coming together. Yesterday you were the mother; today your daughter is the mother, and you have been given the privilege of stepping into a completely new role.

That is just who God is… He hears the prayers of His children and grants our requests when those requests are aligned with His will. AMEN.

Now I finally understand the love a grandmother feels for her grandchild. Words fall short when we try to explain this feeling. We can describe it and try again and again to put it into words, but I believe only someone who experiences it can fully understand it.

It is simply… WONDERFUL.

And now that Lily is here with us, I cannot help but look back once again and give thanks.

I am so grateful to God for the legacy I received from my grandmother Olga and from my parents.

Legacy doesn’t begin with us – and it doesn’t have to end with us

And yes, I say my parents, because my father gave his life to Jesus when he was around 75 years old. So, in addition to leaving me a strong moral legacy, he also planted a spiritual legacy in me through so many testimonies and conversations about how the “Boss of Bosses”—as he used to call God—had impacted and transformed his life.

My father went home to be with the Lord at the age of 93, and today I also have the tremendous privilege of still enjoying my mother and the legacy she continues to give us. She is about to turn 94 years old, thanks be to God.

When I look at all of this, I understand even more clearly that legacy does not begin with us, and it does not have to end with us.

Planting Seeds in the Next Generation

My grandmother planted seeds. My parents planted seeds. God allowed those seeds to reach my heart, and now Eduardo and I have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to continue planting into a new generation.

There is something very meaningful to me about seeing these generations connected. What my grandmother Olga planted in a little girl so many years ago in Ecuador did not disappear. Those seeds traveled through time, through different stages of my life, through mistakes, marriage, children, crises, restoration, and faith. And now, by God’s grace, I have the opportunity to plant some of those same seeds in the heart of my granddaughter.

What kind of grandparents do we want to be?

We do not know exactly what Lily’s future will look like or what plans God has for her life. We cannot control every circumstance she will encounter along the way. We cannot prevent every disappointment, difficulty, or challenge she may face. But we can decide what kind of grandparents we want to be and what kind of seeds we want to plant in her heart for as long as God gives us the privilege of walking alongside her.

And that is exactly what I want to do.

Being a Grandmother is a New opportunity to leave a Legacy

Today, I have a new challenge, another purpose in my life, a new role, and a great responsibility. First, to God, for the blessing He has given me of becoming a grandmother; and then to Lily’s parents and to our family.

Of course, I want to enjoy my granddaughter. I want to hold her, hug her, play with her, spoil her a little, and create beautiful memories together. That warm and close relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is very much a part of the Hispanic family culture in which I grew up, and it is something beautiful that I want Lily to experience as well.

But I also want to remember that my role can go much further than that.

I want Lily, when she thinks about her grandparents one day, to remember people who loved her deeply, who were present in her life, who supported and respected her parents, who prayed for her and encouraged her, and, most importantly, who showed her Jesus not only through what they said, but through the way they lived.

Perhaps that is ultimately what I have learned throughout this entire journey: being a grandmother is not simply a new stage of life; it is also a new opportunity to leave a LEGACY.

Legacy is something we intentionally plant across generations, rather than something we simply inherit.

I am confident that God will guide our steps—my husband’s and mine—and give us the wisdom to have a positive influence on Lily’s life.

I do not expect to do it perfectly. I have already learned that no stage of life is lived that way. I wasn’t a perfect wife, I wasn’t a perfect mother, and I know I won’t be a perfect grandmother either. But this time there is something different: I want to enter this stage prepared and intentional. I want to learn, to listen, to respect my children as parents, to enjoy my granddaughter, and to plant seeds of faith in her heart.

Most of all, I want to walk through this new stage holding tightly to God’s hand.

My hope is in Him.

Because, do you know what?

Now I am a Grandmother!

After all the questions, after looking back at my own story, after remembering my grandmother and understanding the seeds my mother planted, after seeing how God transformed my father’s life, after recognizing my own mistakes and experiencing God’s restoration in my marriage, after learning about intentional grandparenting, attending the Summit, reading, preparing, waiting, and praying… that very first question finally has an answer.

I’M NOT “GOING TO BE” A GRANDMOTHER ANYMORE…NOW I AM A GRANDMOTHER!

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Voy a Ser Abuela… ¿Y Ahora?

Por Diana Rivadeneira

Este fue mi primer pensamiento cuando mi hija Valentina y su esposo Gustavo nos dieron la maravillosa noticia.

Y no es porque no me agradara la noticia… ¡Me encantaba! Sino porque ese pensamiento me llevó inmediatamente a muchos otros pensamientos relacionados con las diferentes etapas de mi vida y me hizo cuestionar todo aquello que no hice en el pasado.

No aprendí a ser esposa, y eso contribuyó a que mi matrimonio entrara en crisis al décimo año de casados. Tampoco me preparé para ser madre, y hoy entiendo que, gracias al amor incondicional que genera traer hijos al mundo y, sobre todo, a la misericordia de Dios, creo haber hecho lo mejor posible entre equivocaciones y aciertos. Por lo menos… eso es lo que mis hijos me dicen.

Pero de algo sí estoy segura: prepararnos para cada etapa crucial de nuestra vida es sumamente necesario. Y no estoy hablando de cualquier preparación. Debemos estar seguros de recibir la mejor enseñanza: la fiel, la verdadera, aquella que puede sellar los corazones de las personas que amamos. Y esa… esa solo puede venir de nuestro Padre celestial.

Así que considero que mi pregunta inicial era muy válida: “Voy a ser abuela… ¿y ahora?”

No quería volver a sentir que pude haberlo hecho mejor si hubiese conocido los principios de Dios desde mis inicios. Bueno, en realidad los conocía, pero no los practicaba, y eso viene siendo casi lo mismo que no conocerlos. Porque conocer los principios de Dios es importante, pero permitir que transformen nuestra manera de vivir, nuestras decisiones y nuestras relaciones es algo completamente diferente.

Ante preguntas como la que me hice al inicio, uno tiende a buscar respuestas o alguna guía en su propia historia familiar.

Vengo de familias hispanas por ambos lados de mis padres, a excepción de mi abuelo materno que era de descendencia Europea. Al recordar mi niñez, puedo decir que no tuve mucha influencia de parte de mis abuelos paternos. Mi abuelo murió relativamente joven y no llegué a conocerlo. Mi abuela vivía aquí, en los Estados Unidos, mientras nosotros vivíamos en Ecuador, así que la distancia impidió que pudiera conocerla profundamente y desarrollar con ella una relación cercana.

En el caso de mis abuelos maternos, mi abuelo también murió cuando yo era una niña y no lo frecuentaba mucho. En cambio, mi abuela Olga, sí tuvo una influencia importante en mi vida.

Era una mujer cristiana de mucha fe. Constantemente me hablaba de Dios, me presentó a Jesús, me contaba las historias de la Biblia, la escuchaba cantar himnos y recuerdo muchas otras cosas similares que formaron parte de mi infancia. (Salmos 78:4)

Sí, crecí en un hogar cristiano gracias a mi madre —mi papá no era creyente en ese tiempo—, pero fueron principalmente mi madre y mi abuela Olga, quienes influyeron en mí al sembrar esas “semillas” que un día Dios permitiría que germinaran.

Ellas probablemente no podían ver en ese momento todo lo que Dios haría años después con aquellas semillas. Y eso es precisamente lo maravilloso de un legado: muchas veces sembramos algo cuyo fruto quizá no veremos inmediatamente. Sin embargo, la semilla queda allí, esperando el momento en que Dios permita que germine. ( 2 Timoteo. 1:5)

Así que, como pueden notar, sabía de Dios, pero no tenía una relación con Dios.

Culturalmente, en Latinoamérica, durante mis años de niñez y adolescencia, ser “cristiano” era considerado algo raro por muchas personas. La religión católica era la que profesaba la mayoría de la población y yo no tenía muchas amigas con mi misma crianza de fe.

Otro aspecto relacionado con nuestra cultura latina es la manera en que tradicionalmente se ha entendido el rol de los abuelos. Muchas veces se considera que los abuelos ya son personas que no trabajan y que su principal función es convertirse en cuidadores a tiempo completo de los nietos, sin demasiada planificación. ¡Cuidarlos es el objetivo!

Y yo crecí, de cierta manera, con esa convicción, más que nada por la generación en la que me tocó crecer. No necesariamente se hablaba de prepararse para ser abuelo, de establecer límites saludables, de apoyar a los padres respetando sus decisiones o, mucho menos, de pensar intencionalmente en el legado espiritual que podemos dejar a nuestros nietos.

Ciertamente, no hay nada malo en que los abuelos amen, cuiden, disfruten e incluso consientan un poco a sus nietos. Eso forma parte de la alegría de ser abuelo, algo especialmente familiar para quienes crecimos en familias latinas, donde los abuelos suelen estar profundamente involucrados en la vida familiar. Sin embargo, empezaba a comprender que nuestro papel podía ir mucho más allá del simple cuidado de nuestros nietos; existía también la oportunidad de influir en otra generación a través de nuestra fe, nuestro ejemplo, nuestras palabras y nuestra forma de vivir.

Pasaron los años y no fue hasta la crisis matrimonial que vivimos mi esposo y yo que tomé la decisión de buscar verdaderamente a Dios y entregarle mi vida.

Bueno… en realidad, ¡Él no estaba perdido! La perdida era yo, pero su inmenso AMOR me encontró. ( Romanos 5:8)

Y cuando Dios me encontró, comenzó también a enseñarme que nuestra historia no está formada solamente por nuestros errores. Él puede tomar incluso nuestras equivocaciones, nuestras crisis y aquello que hubiéramos querido hacer de otra manera, y utilizarlo para enseñarnos y prepararnos para lo que viene.

Entonces, regresando a la actualidad y a aquella expresión: “VOY A SER ABUELA”, comprendí que ya tenía ganada una gran parte del camino.

Mi vida, desde hace muchos años, le pertenece a Dios, y con Él lo voy a lograr. Eso me dio mucha esperanza.

Y, como sucede con muchas cosas en mi vida —y me imagino que en la de ustedes, los que caminan con Dios, sucede algo parecido—, Dios ya tenía preparado un plan para mí.

Todo se dio casi como por arte de magia… aunque ahora sé que no fue magia. Dios puso en mi camino este maravilloso ministerio, Legacy Coalition, el cual se convirtió en una especie de preparación —cual embarazo— para convertirme en esa futura abuela.

Asistimos a la Cumbre 2026 en Texas, y escuchamos algunas charlas que nos dejaron emocionados y deseosos de seguir aprendiendo.

Mientras recibía todas esas enseñanzas, comencé también a mirar mi propia historia con otros ojos.

Entendiendo todo esto y reflexionando sobre mi historia de vida, reconocí algo muy importante: un LEGADO se siembra INTENCIONALMENTE.

Entendí que mi propia historia también había tenido un legado. Mi abuela y mi madre habían sembrado semillas en mí muchos años atrás. Algunas tardaron años en germinar, pero estuvieron allí.

Y eso era precisamente lo que Eduardo, mi esposo, y yo queríamos: prepararnos para ser abuelos intencionales, apoyar a sus padres y tener la oportunidad de influir positiva, emocional y espiritualmente en la vida de nuestra futura nieta —Lily y todos los demás nietos que Dios permita que lleguen—, con la finalidad de dejar un legado que deje huellas y, sobre todo, encontrarnos algún día en la Eternidad.

¡Wow! ¿No les parece grandioso?

Es todo un RETO, sí, pero con la ayuda de Dios caminaremos hacia la meta.

Durante el embarazo de mi hija, Eduardo y yo estábamos viviendo paralelamente esta nueva preparación para nuestras vidas. Mientras Valentina se preparaba para convertirse en mamá, nosotros nos preparábamos para convertirnos en abuelos.

Como era de esperarse, los libros y recursos relacionados con los abuelos comenzaron a cobrar mucho interés para nosotros. Obtuvimos muchos de estos materiales en las conferencias a las que asistimos y que mencioné anteriormente. Queríamos aprender, escuchar y entender cómo podíamos desempeñar este nuevo rol de una manera diferente, consciente e intencional.

Fue muy emocionante el día que compartimos con nuestros hijos el nuevo reto que había cautivado nuestro corazón.

Les contamos y explicamos muchas de las cosas que habíamos aprendido en las conferencias a las que asistimos. Creo que, en el fondo, ellos respiraron con alivio.

Quizá habrán pensado algo así como: “Bueno, por este lado de los abuelos, sus intenciones no serán simplemente malcriar o permitir cosas indebidas a nuestra hija. No tendremos que lidiar con comportamientos que no aprobemos”.

Les dejamos muy claro que nuestras intenciones eran apoyarlos a ellos como padres e influir emocional y espiritualmente en nuestra nieta de una manera positiva, respetando siempre las decisiones que ellos tomen con respecto a su crianza y educación. La verdad es que nuestros hijos se sintieron muy contentos, tranquilos y apoyados.

Para nosotros esto es fundamental. Ser abuelos no significa reemplazar a los padres ni competir con ellos. Queremos caminar a su lado, apoyarlos y estar disponibles cuando nos necesiten. Deseamos que Lily pueda crecer viendo una familia en la que padres y abuelos se respetan, se apoyan y comparten, sobre todo, el deseo de que ella conozca a Dios.

Y entonces llegó el momento que tanto esperábamos.Ahora déjenme contarles qué sucedió ese gran día de su nacimiento…

Lily llegó un 11 de septiembre de 2026. En estos momentos, mientras escribo este artículo, mi nieta tiene apenas 15 días de nacida.

Llegó en medio de muchas oraciones de sus padres, abuelos, familiares y amigos.

Nuestros hijos, Valentina y Gustavo, pidieron con mucha fe cosas que normalmente no se pueden asegurar: un alumbramiento rápido y no tan doloroso; no tener que inducir el parto; que Lily llegara cuando Dios lo permitiera y, sobre todo, que naciera sana.

Y bueno… fue exactamente lo que sucedió.

Lily vino al mundo después de un proceso de parto que duró cuatro horas, siendo Valentina mamá primeriza, y Dios concedió el resto de las peticiones de una manera maravillosa. ( Salmos 37:4)

Es que así es Dios… Escucha la oración de sus hijos y concede peticiones cuando estas están alineadas con Su voluntad. AMÉN.

Ver un sueño hecho realidad es una experiencia indescriptible. Era real…

Lily estaba ahí, en los brazos de nuestra hija, y nuestros ojos podían verla. La podíamos tocar. Era una hermosa niña, grande y sana.

¡Era nuestra primera nieta!

Hay momentos en la vida que uno quisiera detener por unos segundos para poder guardarlos para siempre. Para mí, ese fue uno de ellos. Después de meses imaginando cómo sería su rostro, orando por ella y esperando su llegada, finalmente podíamos conocerla.

Es difícil explicar todo lo que se siente en el corazón en un momento así. Miras a tu hija —que alguna vez fue la bebé que sostenías en tus propios brazos— y, de repente, la ves sosteniendo a su propia hija. Ante ti, casi puedes ver cómo convergen las generaciones: ayer tú eras la madre; hoy tu hija es la madre, y has recibido el privilegio de asumir un papel totalmente nuevo

Ahora puedo sentir ese amor de abuela hacia una nieta. Las palabras se quedan cortas cuando tratamos de explicar este sentimiento. Podemos describirlo, intentarlo una y otra vez, pero creo que solamente quien lo experimenta puede comprenderlo completamente.

Es simplemente… MARAVILLOSO.

Y al tener a Lily con nosotros, no puedo evitar mirar nuevamente hacia atrás y agradecer. Agradezco tanto a Dios por el legado que recibí de mi abuela Olga y de mis padres.

Y sí, digo de mis padres, porque mi papá entregó su vida a Jesús aproximadamente a los 75 años de edad. Así que, además de dejarme un legado moral, también sembró en mí un legado espiritual después de tantos testimonios y conversaciones acerca de cómo el “Jefe de Jefes” —como él llamaba a Dios— había impactado su vida.

Mi papá se reunió con el Señor a los 93 años y hoy tengo además el enorme privilegio de seguir disfrutando de mi madre y de su legado. Ella está por cumplir 94 años, gracias a Dios.

Cuando miro todo esto, comprendo todavía más claramente que el legado no comienza con nosotros y tampoco tiene por qué terminar con nosotros.

Mi abuela sembró. Mis padres sembraron. Dios permitió que aquellas semillas llegaran a mi corazón y, ahora, Eduardo y yo tenemos la oportunidad y la responsabilidad de continuar sembrando en una nueva generación.

Hay algo muy significativo para mí en ver a estas generaciones conectadas. Lo que mi abuela Olga plantó en una niña hace tantos años en Ecuador no desapareció. Esas semillas viajaron a través del tiempo, a través de diferentes etapas de mi vida, a través de errores, matrimonio, hijos, crisis, restauración y fe. Y ahora, por la gracia de Dios, tengo la oportunidad de plantar algunas de esas mismas semillas en el corazón de mi nieta.

No sabemos exactamente cómo será el futuro de Lily ni cuáles serán los planes que Dios tenga para su vida. Tampoco podemos controlar todas las circunstancias que encontrará en su camino. Pero sí podemos decidir qué clase de abuelos queremos ser y qué semillas queremos sembrar mientras Dios nos conceda el privilegio de acompañarla.

Y eso es precisamente lo que deseo hacer.

Hoy tengo un nuevo desafío, un propósito más en mi vida, un nuevo rol y una gran responsabilidad. Primero con Dios, por la bendición que he recibido de ser abuela; después con sus padres y con nuestra familia.

Quiero disfrutar a mi nieta, abrazarla, jugar con ella, consentirla y crear hermosos recuerdos juntas. Pero quiero también recordar que mi papel puede ir mucho más allá. Quiero que, cuando Lily piense algún día en sus abuelos, pueda recordar personas que la amaron profundamente, que estuvieron presentes, que respetaron a sus padres y, especialmente, que con sus palabras y con su manera de vivir le mostraron a Jesús. (Proverbios 22:6)

Quizá eso sea, finalmente, lo que he aprendido durante todo este proceso: ser abuela no es solamente una nueva etapa de la vida; también es una nueva oportunidad para dejar un legado.

Estoy segura de que Dios guiará nuestros pasos, los de mi esposo y los míos, y nos dará sabiduría para influir positivamente en la vida de Lily.

No pretendo hacerlo perfectamente. Ya aprendí que ninguna etapa de la vida se vive de esa manera. Pero esta vez quiero vivirla preparada, consciente, agradecida y, sobre todo, tomada de la mano de Dios. (Jeremías 29:11)

En Él están puestas mis esperanzas.

Porque, ¿saben qué?

Después de todas las preguntas, de repasar mi propia historia, de recordar a mi abuela y comprender las semillas que mi madre sembró, de ver cómo Dios transformó la vida de mi padre, de reconocer mis propios errores y experimentar la restauración de Dios en mi matrimonio, de aprender sobre el ejercicio intencional del rol de abuela, de asistir a la Cumbre, de leer, prepararme, esperar y orar… aquella primera pregunta por fin tiene respuesta.

YA NO VOY A «SER» ABUELA…

¡AHORA SOY ABUELA!

“ La corona del Anciano son sus nietos; el orgullo de los hijos son sus Padres”