Ideas have DNA (give me those old time lady preachers).

Click to enlarge: This is my Grandpa Cairns (my dad's dad) in 1975 on his birthday. I am immediately to his left, partly hidden by my brother Tom. Of course, that's Grandma (Geneva Cairns, née Bauer) next to Grandpa.

As you may know from reading me, my Uncle Ken[1] and Aunt Dorothy and their kids (Carolee, Dee Dee and Tom Tom) were missionaries in Kinshasa.

It occurred to me that we leave much more behind than our DNA, we leave ideas, which have something like DNA also.

How many people in Kinshasa today are Christians, or just better people, because my uncle and his family were there? Most of them have no idea who Uncle Ken is.

My Grandpa Cairns was saved (that's evangelical lingo for "became a Christian") by a lady preacher at a tent revival. There's no way I'd be here without him, and there's no way Grandma would have dated him if he hadn't been a Christian.

Click to enlarge: This is the front and back of the same photo showing (I think) Grandma's handwriting.

Grandpa never mentioned that lady preacher's name, but he mentioned the event a few times, usually when everyone else was talking about Baptists ordaining women. He had an opinion but stated it obliquely. My guess is he liked the idea.

We leave behind idea DNA just like we leave behind our physical DNA.

Both good and bad.

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[1]
Ken is Dad's brother. Ken was a cook in the army and still enjoys cooking to this day. He made a couple or three Thanksgiving dinners I enjoyed at his house when they lived in Holly. 

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