I was carrying a tub of sugar packets down the church hallway when my mind took me back fifteen years. As I walked toward the kitchen to refill the almost empty tub, I could hear my grandma’s voice, “I’ve got to go get the sugar.”
It was December of 2003, and I was Christmas caroling with my church. One of the places we visited was the Alzheimer’s wing of the nursing home where my grandma was.
While we were singing, I saw a nurse walking toward me with Grandma. The nurse didn’t know that I was a relative, and Grandma hadn’t recognized anyone for a very long time.
She told me she loved to hear me sing. Then she looked up, right into my eyes and said, “I want you to do what God tells you to do.”
“I will, Grandma,” I replied.
I can still see her face as she stared so intently into my eyes and spoke again, “I want you to do what he says.”
Again, I replied, “I will Grandma.”
Then she said, “You know I love you. Don’t you?”
“Yes, Grandma. I love you too,” I answered. I kissed her forehead.
Then she walked away saying, “Now I’ve got to go get the sugar.” And then she was gone.
This encounter with Grandma happened just after I had been invited to travel to Panama with Samaritan’s Purse to distribute shoe box gifts for Operation Christmas Child. I wasn’t sure at first if I would accept. It was a very tough decision, and I was scared about a lot of different things.
I was a stay at home mom of four children ranging from 3-12 years old. I wasn’t sure anyone would be able to transport the older kids to school or to babysit the younger ones while my husband worked. My mother-in-law was very sick. Furthermore, I was scared of flying and had said that I would not ever fly unless God asked me to (I just didn’t expect him to ask). I didn’t know how we’d come up with the money or how my husband would feel about it. I also had some health issues that sometimes made it difficult to travel…. Would God take care of me if I went on the trip? Would God take care of my family while I was away? Dare I even leave them?
I knew that this was a calling from God (another great story for another day). I had accepted this rare opportunity, but I was still anxious about all the details. This was a huge leap of faith at the time, and I had a lot of fears.
However, I had grown up admiring my grandma more than anyone. I had never heard her speak an unkind word, and she was probably the closest example of Jesus that I had ever known. So, for these words to come from her at an unexpected time when she didn’t even remember me… It was like God speaking to me through her. It was like God confirming to me that I needed to simply do what he asked and that he would take care of the rest, which in fact, he did (but again, that is another great story for another day).
Grandma went to be with Jesus just 2 months later, and I went on my trip before she died. I still find it incredible that even though my grandma’s mind had deteriorated to the point that she didn’t know her family, doing God’s will and encouraging others to do the same remained important to her.
For some reason, I always thought that when she walked away from me to “go get the sugar,” she was “taking care of the people” in the little country church she had attended years before. And here I was, doing the same at my church.
As I filled my tub with sugar packets, I remembered Grandma. I thought about how much she loved me, how much she loved everyone and how she loved Jesus even more. She served with love and was used by God until he called her home.
As I get older, my mind forgets so much, but I hope that as I continue to grow old, I will become more like Grandma. Lord, let me always love and serve those around me and most of all, let me always love and serve you. May I never forget your love for me. May I never forget you. May I always be your willing vessel and continue to love and to serve until the day you call me home. Mold me to be like Grandma. Mold me to be like Jesus.
Who is God to you? As you read through the Bible, you will find many different names for God. These names describe God’s character and nature as he revealed himself personally to individuals. When he revealed himself, the people came to know him in a real and personal way, and their relationship with him grew deeper.
Just a few of the names for God that are recorded in the Bible as he revealed himself to his people are Abba Father (Daddy), El Shaddai (God Almighty), Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord Will Provide), Jehovah-Nissi (the Lord is my Banner), my Hiding Place, my Refuge in times of trouble, the God Who Saves Me, the God Who Sees Me, a Forgiving God, Creator of heaven and earth, God my Maker, the Rock of our Salvation, our Redeemer, God of Peace, God of Truth, Most High, Holy One, Eternal God…. The list of his names and all that he is goes on and on! You have probably experienced him in some of those ways and know him personally by some of those names.
My favorite name for him is “I AM WHO I AM.” He exists! He is, he always was and he always will be. There is no one like him and no one who can compare to how Mighty, Perfect and Awesome he is. He is Holy, Faithful, Mighty, Sovereign, All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Righteous, Merciful, Ever-Present, Omnipresent, Unchanging…. He is Truth, Wisdom, Light and Love.…. He depends on nothing and no one, yet absolutely everything depends on him. Whatever we need, we find in him.
I have experienced God in many ways. He is my Hiding Place, my Comfort, my Wisdom, my Confidence, my Strength, my Guidance, my Light, my Hope, my Peace, my Deliverer, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Lord, my Life… HE IS MY EVERYTHING! He is always there when I need him and the Only One I can always truly depend on. He is the One who loved me even when there was nothing to love about me and he is the One who sent his One and Only Son to die so that I can live. He is God. He is all I need. He is enough.
Think today on all that God is and reflect on how he has been personal with you. Let all that he is draw you into worshiping the Great I AM and living a life that brings glory to him. I pray that each of us continues to know him more intimately not only through this Advent season but forever.
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” ~Exodus 3:14
I sifted through the photos, and my daughter used them to make decorations. One of the photos I came across was a precious picture of Mom and Dad dancing when Mom was crowned homecoming queen. Jessica captioned it with, “Dance like no one is watching; it’s just you and me.” That’s how it started—just the two of them, probably not realizing that they were being watched by those around them. Over the years, however, they were making an impact. Mom and Dad showed me and many others what true love is.
The homecoming queen graduated and got married. Her husband was drafted into the army, and then he left for boot camp. He was allowed a short trip home when his first daughter (That would be me!) was born. Then he was sent to Vietnam. It must have been hard on the young couple to be separated, especially with a new baby. They weathered the storm by exchanging letters and photos and praying a lot of prayers as God took care of them until Dad’s time of service ended. Within a few years of dad coming home, their family grew to five with two active daughters and a very busy son. Dad worked hard at the car lot while Mom worked hard at home.
Vietnam wasn’t the only difficulty that would arise in their life together. Before Mom was even 30, she lost her own mom to cancer. She took care of Grandma while also trying to take care of three little kids. Mom battled cancer herself 15 years ago, and Dad has spent his share of time in the hospital over the past couple of years. Of course, we three kids and ten grandkids have given them several challenges over the years as well. They have definitely experienced what it meant when they vowed, “for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.” While Mom and Dad did what they needed to do to take care of us through whatever life brought, they were teaching us what true love is, whether they realized it or not.
As Mom and Dad’s 50th anniversary approached this year, my siblings and I worked together with our spouses and children on planning a celebration. As I worked on decorations and refreshments in the evenings, I thought of the times in my childhood that I’d wake up in the middle of the night to see Mom decorating our birthday cakes. I also remembered how Mom always made sure that we had a special outfit for Easter Sunday and the Christmas programs. There were many times that Mom sat at the sewing machine while everyone else slept. She was up into the wee hours of the morning sometimes, putting the finishing touches on our new clothes that people would always compliment us on when they saw us the next day. I can also remember dad working hard after hours with customers but always coming home to see us over lunch and also finding time to spend his coffee break with us at the Fischer’s Hi-Boy down the road from the car lot. Mom and Dad worked hard, but they always made time for what was important, and we kids felt loved.
Dad and Mom taught us that time was way more important than money. Mom didn’t have a job outside the home to bring in extra income when we were young. Instead, she chose to spend as much time as she could, pouring into her children and home. Because she was home, we always had delicious home-cooked meals and often had fresh baked cookies waiting for us when we got home from school. She always had time to listen and also took time to read to us, help us with homework and play with us. She found time to lead my Girl Scout troop, teach Vacation Bible School and help us learn the importance of serving as she towed us around while she delivered Meals on Wheels to the elderly.
Being a single-income home meant that my parents also had to budget differently than households where both parents worked. They taught us kids to spend our money wisely. Investing in people was more important than investing in things. The memories we made going on our yearly family vacations, trips to fair and visits to the zoo are the happiest of memories. I remember riding the Scrambler with my dad, holding my mom’s hand at the zoo while a balloon with a picture of a chimpanzee was tied around my wrist, riding through the mountains of Tennessee in our 1964 red Rambler and watching the movie from the back seat at the drive inn and eating the popcorn mom had popped, but I couldn’t tell you what brand of blue jeans or tennis shoes I wore. I just know that I always had nice, clean clothes that fit, plenty of food and never lacked for anything. I felt safe and loved. Mom and Dad knew what was the most important.
We kids definitely learned from Mom and Dad that spending time together is important. We always ate our meals together around the table. They taught us to give thanks to God before eating, and then we always talked and laughed as we ate. My sister and I often spent extra quality time sitting together at the table and staring at our cold food if there was broccoli or creamed corn, but that too created some happy memories.
Dad and Mom also taught us patience by their own example. One of dad’s favorite things to do was to fish, and he often took us kids out in the boat. Dad would watch us cast our line and tell us to wait until we felt a fish tug or until we saw our bobber go under. However we would get impatient and reel it back in if we didn’t get a bite right away. Repeatedly casting and reeling our line in of course caused us to lose our bait, and Dad would spend most of his time helping us bait our hooks rather than catching the monster fish he was after. I was also very good at casting my bait into the trees on the bank. Over and over, Dad would troll to the shore to retrieve my hook from the tree. Shortly after, my sister would snag something under the water, and dad would have to help her break free as well. Then someone would whine that they needed to go to the bathroom or ask if they could dangle their feet over the edge. Through it all, Dad remained patient and somehow never lost his temper.
Mom’s patience was tested as well while we kids created messes, got into arguments and complained that we were bored with nothing to do. On top of all the shopping, cooking, laundry, cleaning and sewing, she also patiently taught us responsibility. It would have been much faster for Mom to clean up all of our messes and separate us when we fought, but she wanted us to become responsible adults. The simple chores that she started us with such as picking up our toys, doing the dishes or dusting could take us hours as we complained, piddled around or got distracted playing, but Mom would persist in making sure we got it done rather than giving into our whining and doing it for us. She also taught us to work out our differences with each other along the way so that we would understand how to work out our differences with other people. This took a lot more time and patience than simply breaking up our fights and punishing us so that we’d get along. I’m sure there were days that she was so frustrated with our lack of cooperation, but she patiently helped us to grow and mature.
Of all the things that my parents taught us through their example, the most important one was how to follow Jesus. Mom and Dad took us to church every Sunday. Dad was a deacon and Mom volunteered with communion, the ladies’ ministry and the children. Some of my sweetest memories of my dad are the times that I walked in and catch him reading his Bible. My mom taught me the importance of praying and sharing my struggles with the One who could fix it. They taught us right and wrong and set the example themselves of how to live out what we knew in our heads.
Just as we kids were looking to Mom and Dad, others were looking to them as well. Mom and Dad always put others first. They were parents not just to us, but to our friends. Mom got help for one of my friends who was in an abusive home and hugged on my friends who needed it. Dad gave people rides across town and gave money for gasoline, groceries and medicine when people were short on cash. They let people come in to use the phone, listened to their problems, took meals, helped watch others’ kids and helped with repairs. I remember one winter when Dad even gave away his only coat away because someone else didn’t have one.
So, yesterday, when we surprised Mom and Dad with a celebration for their 50th wedding anniversary the was room filled with too many people to count. Still it was only a fraction of the lives they touched over the years. Sadly, we couldn’t invite every single one of their friends and family because we just couldn’t have fit them into the building. So many people told us how special Mom and Dad are and that they wouldn’t miss their celebration for anything. Over their 50 years together, my parents have touched the lives of many, many people, but especially mine. I am so thankful that God blessed me with such wonderful parents, and I am proud to be their daughter. My prayer for them yesterday was that they would feel special and loved as friends and family came to celebrate, and my prayer for them today is that God will continue to bless them in ways bigger than they could ask or imagine. I have truly been blessed with the best parents in the world!
You love what you do, but you needed to catch your breath, relax your body, rejuvenate your mind and refresh your soul. Summer may have flown by a little bit too quickly for you, but the call to teach is already tugging on your heart. You remember the faces and are anxious to see how they are doing. You have been worried about some of them because you know their life is difficult.
You are a hard worker. You have spent hours decorating your classroom in ways that will inspire your students’ minds. You’ve been working on creative lesson plans remembering that some children learn in different ways than others. You’ve prepared extra activities realizing that some of your students need challenged so they don’t become bored while others need extra help just to make it through. Your desks will soon be filled with so many unique individuals with so many different needs. You will be helping your pupils to discover that learning can be fun and that each person has different strengths and passions that will help them succeed.
You find great joy in the students who are eager to learn and eager to please you, but you also encounter students who will be too tired to focus, disinterested in what you are teaching or desperate for the attention of anyone who they can distract. Some students are a joy, and others will exhaust you before the end of the day. Yet regardless of what attitude each one brings into your classroom at the beginning of the year, you are determined to break through and inspire that student to have become a better person when your time with them is done.
Not only do you care about each student’s education, you also care about their whole well-being. You see the hurt in their eyes and know who needs a hug. You understand when students don’t have the supplies they need because their single mom is unable to shop after working all day and then trying to cook dinner, wash laundry and help with homework. You have asked if your friends and family have khakis that a student needs to wear for their chorus concert or their homecoming dance. You’ve quietly slipped deodorant or food items into a backpack when no one was looking. You’ve looked, you’ve listened, you’ve cared.
There have been days when your heart is overwhelmed in knowing the struggles that some of your students have. There have also been days of frustration when you’ve felt no one is listening, and you question if you can ever get through to them. You have faced parents who disagree with your teaching methods, your classroom rules or the grade their child was given on their exam. You have had people outside the classroom telling you how you need to do things when you are the one who works with the students on a daily basis and actually know what is best. I’m sorry to say that you will most likely have those days again this year.
You will work all day, go home to take care of your own family and then work into the night to prepare for the next day. You will purchase materials that aren’t covered in the classroom budget. Your mind will race some nights when you go to bed because you can’t stop thinking about the girl who keeps getting bullied or the boy who wears long sleeved shirts when it’s warm to hide the cuts on his arms. You will lie awake wondering how you can help a student who isn’t grasping an important concept. You will be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted at times, but do not let yourself get discouraged. What you are doing is making a difference.
You will never know how far the influence you have on your students will go. Who knows what a student might figure out to improve technology when they finally understand an idea you’ve been teaching. You are inspiring future financial wizards, doctors, nurses, surgeons, policemen, firefighters, pilots, designers, scientists, engineers, musicians, artists, athletes, lawyers, writers…. You are even inspiring further teachers.
You are not only teaching them knowledge, you are teaching them to be responsible citizens. You are building them up and teaching them to build others up as well. You are pouring all that you have into the lives that will impact our future.
Let me assure you that your kindness will not be forgotten. I graduated high school more than 30 years ago, but I can remember every one of my teachers and something special about each one. I can remember tricks to spelling certain words, math shortcuts, different styles and paint mediums and songs as far back as kindergarten. I can remember Mr. Donaldson making history come alive for me after years of hating the class. I will never forget the kindness of Mr. Picket who comforted me when my grandpa died or the thoughtfulness of my math teacher, Mrs. Raney who recognized that I had asthma and told me to go to the doctor. I remember the smiles, I remember the hugs and I remember the encouragement. Your students will as well.
I am praying for you as school starts and asking God to give you wisdom, patience and peace and that the love and grace of Jesus would flow through you and be recognized by your students, their families, your colleagues and your bosses. I pray that on the days that you are overwhelmed, you would be encouraged in knowing that you are making a huge impact. You can never tell how far your influence will go, but be assured in knowing that you are making a difference each and every day.
So smile, hug, laugh, encourage, observe, teach and take great pride in knowing that you have one of the most important jobs there are.
Have a wonderful school year! May God bless you as you are a blessing to many!
Life was carefree growing up in the seventies and eighties. We were normal kids from small-town Effingham and Teutopolis, Illinois. Our parents were good friends, and we spent a lot of time together. We were definitely more like family than friends, and Janee’ was like a little sister to me. We have many happy memories of playing Barbies and games like “Old Maid” and “Go Fish” for hours on end. Summers were filled with eating popsicles, drinking Kool-aid, splashing in wading pools and running through the sprinkler. We’d catch baby frogs in the spring and butterflies and lightning bugs in the summer.
Our parents would often play cards late into the night, and we would be put to bed. I liked it best when the card games were held at Janee’s house. Janee’s bedroom was just across the hall from the room my siblings and I would be put to bed in. The kitchen, where our parents played cards, was far away down the hall. The arrangement made it easy for us to sneak back and forth in between the rooms and continue playing. The layout at our house was much more difficult with her in my parents’ bedroom just off the kitchen. We tried to continue our fun after we were sent to bed, but it was just too easy to get caught.
Life got busier as we got older, and we lost track of each other for a while. I was excited when I ran into her mother who told me that she had moved overseas to work with missions. We wrote letters and sent e-mails before the days of social media and later found each other on Facebook. From her personal Facebook profile, I found her blog which I now subscribe to so that I can keep up-to-date with how God is at work in her life. She also recently created a Facebook page, “Seasoned with Spice” for those who don’t have time to read a blog but would like to learn about her ministry.
Janee’ is a very good writer and shares fascinating stories of what life in Antwerp, Belgium is like for herself, her Syrian husband named, Hary, and their two young daughters, Phoebe and Maria-Grace. Janee’s blog has been inspiring to me as I have read story after story about God answering prayers and working in ways that only God can work to help Janee’ get Syrian family members to safety when hope would seem lost to most. She also shares stories of Muslims giving their lives to Jesus Christ and sharing his love with others. Life is very different and sometimes challenging in the Muslim community in which Janee’s family lives, but her family loves the people and has a passion to share the love of Jesus with those around them. Because of the war, they also have the opportunity to share the Gospel with refugee’s from Syria and Iraq.
Whether it be Hary’s job, the children’s school, the store, the coffee shop or wherever they go, Janee’s family is committed to God, and their “heart is to see the Arabic world know Jesus.” One emerging ministry of theirs is an ongoing discipleship program that will disciple and train individuals to go out in the villages and small towns to start Bible studies, houses of prayer and churches. They have a refugee feeding project in which a team of Arabic men visit the refugee holding camps and invite people to join them for a hot meal and to hear about Jesus. Almost every single one of those invited come from a Muslim background. They have prayer walks and prayer ministries and also treat Arabic women by hosting a “spiritual day” once a year with singing, teaching, praying and eating together.
The list of how they reach out to the Arabic people and in Belgium and to refugees from Syria and Iraq goes on and on. Janee’s family seizes every opportunity to share the love of Jesus with those around them. They long for the day when Hary, who is a “tent maker” will be free to evangelize full time.
Janee’ was back in the states from July 13 – August 6 this year. I was blessed to hear her speak at her “home” church, First Baptist Church in Effingham, to talk with her over lunch and to hear more about the amazing ways that God is at work in Belgium. I am also excited for the opportunity to partner with her financially through CBF. Who knows? Maybe I will even have the chance to visit her in Belgium someday and partner with her there in prayer, in serving and in sharing the love of Jesus.
In honor of her Janee’s birthday on August 8, I’d love for you to say a prayer for her and her family and to check out her blog, “Seasoned With Spice: An American Woman in an Arab World” or her Facebook Page, “Seasoned With Spice.” If God tugs at your heart, and you too would like to partner with her financially, you can find more information by clicking here.
As a little girl, I had no idea that God would call Janee’ to join the mission field. I would have never thought that she would find a way to e-mail and get a response from the Queen of Jordan or that she would connect with famous people for help in freeing some of her Syrian in-laws. However, God had a purpose for Janee’ long before she was even conceived; she only had to listen to his whisper on her heart and obey his call.
God has a purpose for you as well! Maybe part of your purpose is in making a donation to help Janee’ and Hary reach the Arab world for Christ. Maybe God plans to send you to Belgium, Costa Rica, Haiti, Thailand, Russia…. Maybe he simply plans for you to share the Gospel of Jesus with your neighbor, co-worker or family member. Whatever your purpose, I hope that you will listen. I hope that you will obey. Don’t miss out on the blessings he has waiting for you!
Daisies are my favorite flower. I can’t remember how long ago Christopher planted the daisy seeds in our yard, but I know it has been at least 3 or 4 years if not more. The daisies he planted have always been special to me, but seeing them bloom is even more meaningful now that he has moved more than 1000 miles away. This year, he just happened to be home for a visit when the first daisy of the season bloomed. He cut it for me and selected a vase. He is back in Florida now, but more and more daisies are opening up and will most likely put on a beautiful show until autumn creeps back in. Though he is so far way, his daisies have made a lasting impact and continue to bring me joy and remind me of his thoughtfulness.
I was admiring the daisies this morning and also remembered a day about 5 years ago when Christopher and his brothers surprised me by setting an aquarium up in my living room while I was at work. They used cold water straight from the garden hose and plopped two white fish named Mom & Dad into the water which was full of chlorine. Needless to say the fish did not make it, and the Facebook world was saddened (and somebody got in trouble) that evening when my son Joshua posted, “Dad died today.” The following day, they removed the chlorine and heated the water and filled the tank with gravel, decorations and colorful cichlids. Today we continue to be entertained by the fish including a few that we have watched grow for the past five years.
My little flower garden in the back yard is also a project that Christopher started for me. I missed my flower beds when we moved to town, but we have a very tiny yard now, and my husband Sam wasn’t too sure about giving up space for a flower bed that would probably become overrun with weeds with my hectic schedule. Christopher got the boys together and bought me a fountain and two pretty strings of lights. He also talked his dad into letting me have a small garden. He and the boys have helped me add to it each year, and I think of them while I enjoy taking care of my little flower bed or relaxing outside and listening to the water from the fountain trickle.
There are other pieces of artwork and projects around the house that remind me of Christopher’s thoughtfulness, and I feel his love even though he isn’t here. There are also things around that house that my other children, my husband, my parents, my siblings, my nieces and nephews and my friends have left for me and projects that they have helped me with that bring back happy memories and make me feel loved. There are even things around my house that still allow me to feel the love of people who are no longer on this earth. There is my grandma’s typewriter that reminds me of all the times I sat in her lap and got to type or draw pictures of trees with birds and nests. There is the afghan she crocheted for me even though she questioned the colors when I chose them. She admitted when she was finished that she liked the colors together, and though Grandma passed away years ago, I can remember those conversations and watching her crochet and can feel her hug as I wrap myself in the blanket.
As I was thinking about all of these things that make me feel happy and loved, I wondered to myself, “What have I done that might have made a lasting impression on someone else?” Have I helped with projects or left things behind that reminds someone else of happy memories and how much I love them? Have I left behind anything that will help someone continue to feel my love when this life on earth is over? Most importantly, have I helped anyone to realize how awesome Jesus is and how much they need Him? Praying for others and sharing Jesus with them is the very best gift I have to give. I hope that many of the seeds I have planted will be watered and that God will make them grow so that others will have a gift that lasts long after I am gone. I hope that others can experience the love of Jesus through my life and that they will accept him and have the gift of eternal life through Him.
I turned the knob, but it didn’t light. I jiggled the cord. Sparks flew, and the light flickered. After a few more jiggles and a few more sparks, the lamp finally lit up. The cord would need repaired.
At this point, most people would have set the lamp out with the trash. After all, it was probably more than 50 years old and it had gotten pretty tarnished.
The lamp had stood in my grandmother’s living room for as long as I could remember. I know it had been there for at least 36 years because I had seen in in some of my baby pictures that were taken in my grandparents’ home.
When Grandma passed away, I purchased the lamp at the auction; no one else seemed to want it. The auctioneer called it a “Halloween lamp.” It may have been old and out of style, but the lamp was special to me. It has now stood in my own living room for the past 13 years.
Every time that I look at the lamp, it reminds me of my grandma. Every time I turn the lamp on, it reminds me of the light that radiated from her.
My grandma was more like Jesus than anyone I have ever met. She was as sweet as she could be and was loved by everyone. Even the neighbor kids called her “Grandma.” She always made me feel special and made me feel like I was her favorite. I’m sure that’s how she made all her grandchildren feel.
I can still hear her voice that greeted us every time we visited, “Come in, come in, come in!” Whatever she had been doing, she would stop so that we could enjoy our time together. She always wanted us to stay longer than we were able and always insisted on a “quick peek” through her closet before we could leave. She was sure she could find something special in there that we needed to take home.
I never heard Grandma speak an unkind word about anyone. She loved her family, she loved her church and she loved Jesus. It was clear not just in her words but in her actions.
I remember feeling offended that day when the auctioneer called Grandma’s lamp a “Halloween lamp.” Maybe however, the description was more appropriate than I realized at the time. This world can be a pretty dark and sometimes scary place, but no matter what, Grandma always shined her light in that darkness. Her light made an impact for eternity.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” ~Matthew 5:14-16
However, I had grown up admiring my grandma more than anyone. I had never heard her speak an unkind word, and she was probably the closest example of Jesus that I had ever known. So, for these words to come from her at an unexpected time when she didn’t even remember me… It was like God speaking to me through her. It was like God confirming to me that I needed to simply do what he asked and that he would take care of the rest, which in fact, he did (but again, that is another great story for another day).
I turned the knob, but it didn’t light. I jiggled the cord. Sparks flew, and the light flickered. After a few more jiggles and a few more sparks, the lamp finally lit up. The cord would need repaired.
I can still hear her voice that greeted us every time we visited, “Come in, come in, come in!” Whatever she had been doing, she would stop so that we could enjoy our time together. She always wanted us to stay longer than we were able and always insisted on a “quick peek” through her closet before we could leave. She was sure she could find something special in there that we needed to take home.