Skip to Main Content
Women of the ELCA
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • Tools For Leaders
  • Publications
  • Daily Grace
  • Contact
  • Ministry & Action
    • Discipleship
    • Justice
      • Human Trafficking
      • Racial Justice Advocacy
      • Racial Justice Advocacy Network resources
      • Domestic Violence
    • Membership
    • Stewardship
      • Thankofferings
      • Faithful Friends
      • Katie’s Fund
      • Gift Planning
    • Special Initiatives
      • Raising Up Healthy Women & Girls
      • Dear Friend in Christ
    • Scholarships
      • Lutheran laywomen
      • Lutheran Ordained Ministry
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Events
  • About
    • History
    • Executive Board
    • Staff
    • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • Tools For Leaders
  • Publications
  • Daily Grace
  • Contact
« Back to All Daily Grace

Part of who I am today

9.28.2021
|
Daily Grace

While doing some genealogical research online, I came upon a photograph of my maternal great-grandmother, a woman I never met. To look at her photo was to look in the mirror. It was slightly unnerving. I want to learn her story, but all who knew her are no longer living.

Television shows like “Finding Your Roots” and “Genealogy Roadshow” intrigue me. I like to see the research techniques used to flush out family history. But ultimately, what pulls me in every time are the stories. Stories about how families lived in the past. Stories about surviving a famine or enslavement. Stories about sacrifices made or lives cut short.

I’d be interested in knowing how my ancestors’ faith has shaped me and my faith. The gravestone of a great-great-grandmother reads “Member of the Baptist Church 64 years and died in Full Faith.”

So far, I’ve found ancestors who were part of Methodist, Baptist, Roman Catholic, and German Evangelical Reformed congregations. These ancestors, most of whom I’ve never met, are part of who I am today. The same is true for us all, whether we were cradle Christians or came to faith as adults. Those of past generations planted seeds of hope that live in us.

This message is an excerpt from “Grace notes: Faith of our ancestors” by Linda Post Bushkofsky in the May 2021 issue of Gather magazine.


Daily Grace has been offering you things to ponder and things to pray about for more than 10 years. For free. Women of the ELCA provides many other free online resources, too—see welca.org/resources. Please support Women of the ELCA at welca.org/give.

Share

Sign up for Daily Grace

Daily Grace is an on-the-go companion for your journey, offering a faith reflection every day. Encounter God’s extravagant, boundless and often surprising grace by signing up for a daily email message. You can also download the newly updated app for your IOS and Android devices.

Women of the ELCA
22h
Women of the ELCA
@WomenoftheELCA

As we continue celebrating the lives and stories of bold African Descent women this month, today’s blogger writes about Sojourner Truth and reminds us to continue to the work she began. womenoftheelca.org/blog/post/… #BlackHistoryMonth #mondaymotivation #livingherstory pic.twitter.com/R7LNZ5dsjS

Expand reply reply retweet retweet favorite favorite
Back to home

8765 W. Higgins Rd.

Chicago IL 60631

800-638-3522

[email protected]

Stay In Touch

Sign up for the WELCA Newsletter

Explore WELCA
  • Ministry & Action
  • Daily Grace
  • Resource Library
  • Events
  • Blog
  • News
  • About WELCA
  • Tools For Leaders
  • Publications
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • Photos
Explore Publications

Bold Cafe

A Lutheran perspective for women of Christian faith or any woman who is interested in how faith relates to the issues facing women today.

Gather Magazine

A mix of articles, theological reflections, devotions and stories of comfort and challenge that help readers grow in faith.

Cafe Podcast

Subscribe to our podcast:

Click to subscribe

© Copyright 2023 Women of the ELCA. All Rights Reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
© Copyright 2023 Women of the ELCA. All Rights Reserved.