Generational

If you've been around me much at all in the last few years you likely have heard me share Malachi 4:5,6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.
There is so much to be said about the closing 2 verses of the OT. God closes out the OT and enters a 400 year period of silence with these words. I do believe that "fatherlessness" is at the root of the moral decay in America! I do not believe the drug problems, or the sexual immorality are the real issues! I believe they are but symptoms of a deepeer issue; A root issue! That issue is a generational disconnect. An older generation that did not build the needed relationships with the upcoming generation (for whatever reason). This is not to place blame. We each can so easily just do what our culture has taught us of normal and what we were exposed to as normal. Coming up as a young minister in the PNW; I remember connecting with my call and thinking I had all they answers needed if people would only listen to me. Remember the "novice" statement in scripture(I Timothy 3:6)? That described me well for a season. As I recall I found only 1 or 2 who could see past my behavior into my potential and drew near enough to me to help; though I did not see my need for help at the time. One of those same leaders is still pouring into me today. Still believing in me though not always understanding me. It's ok, I don't always understand me :)
I am realizing more and more that each generation must get a vision of pouring (as a father) into the succeeding generation coming up. Not getting so locked into doing "our thing" that we miss the Generational connection that God intended. When that is not intact each generation has to go through it's own "genesis". I recall that as well as a young Pastor! God intends for each succeeding gneration to build on the previous one. My ceiling would then become the floor of the next generation. I was with my Spiritual son doing a funeral together this week. As we left the cemetary he turned to me and said, "When I'm with you, I see my youth." My heart was instantly flooded by the Holy Spirit and a multitude of thoughts insued. Oh, how the enemy has worked to divide us. We still don't always understand each other. But, oh how being together helps us! How He needs to see "his youth" and understand what he needs help and growth in and I need to see the zeal I had and need stirred again in me. Patrick, I am still feasting on those words.
Are you connected generationally? Remember you cannot be a father until you have been a son.
Do you have someone you process with, turn to, unload the day on when you need to?
Let me know your thoughts

Dwayne