I shake my milk jug when I pull it from the refrigerator. Now my children also shake the milk jug when they get it out of the refrigerator. Why do I shake the jug of milk?? Because MY mother always shook the milk before using it.

You guessed it… HER mother shook the milk before using it. My Mom-mom (grandmother) had a legitimate reason for the shaking of the milk. In those days, milk came straight from the farm. It was delivered without processing and contained the full fat – delicious cream that would rise to the top of the milk jug. Shaking the milk was necessary to mix the cream back in with the milk before use.

Now Mom-mom’s great-grandchildren, growing up in 2020, still shake a milk jug for absolutely no good reason at all. But it’s a good story!

In fact, I love that it allows me to tell the “why” story to my children. Our stories are so important and passing on a heritage to our children is a way to help them connect with generations before them. This is not only important with our family’s ethnic heritage, but even more critical with their spiritual heritage. We want our children to appreciate where they have come from. We desire for them to know the history of generations before them, and if Christian faith has been a part of your story and your family’s story before you THIS is the most important heritage to pass on.

This is where the milk shaking breaks down. We don’t want to do something “just because” or that has no meaning. Faith in Jesus Christ should not be thoughtless or “that’s what my parents and their parents believed so that’s what I believe too.” That won’t stand up in today’s culture and it isn’t the kind of faith that produces life and heart change!

Tell your children your “why” story of your faith. What has God done in your life? Why do you read your Bible, pray, attend worship, and live to glorify God? Help them to see that God is not simply something we talk about, but He is our everything. And most importantly, tell the story of the Gospel that is the ONLY story that can transform and bring salvation! 

What is one of your family’s favorite heritage stories?

Read Psalm 78  and Romans 3:21-26 for further study.