Mother’s Day was a little different this year. It was our first Mother’s Day without Grandma. Sitting in church, a familiar hymn brought comfort. We used to sing, “He Lives,” in Grandma’s church all the time.
We were blessed with a godly Grandmother. Family was her treasured possession; her pride and joy. She loved each of us grandkids as though we were her only grandkid. She was a mother to us all. She took the time to invest in each one of us. She was always very intentional in all she did. She made you feel like you were her favorite. She took the time to engage in our lives. She sent us a greeting card at every holiday.
It was her love that drew us close. A love when we needed it most. A love that was unconditional. A love that was sacrificial. She was proud of us and she made sure to tell us that. Throughout our lives, she offered many words of encouragement, which were always received with thankful hearts. Grandma was proud of all her grandkids!
Grandma exemplified many biblical principles throughout her life, but the one that has her name all over it is Proverbs 31. She had an amazing work ethic. She taught us how to work hard and not be lazy. She exampled how to keep a home, cook a meal, and clean up the kitchen before going to bed each night. She was the first to rise and the last to go to bed. She used every ounce of strength and energy she had to serve. But she also balanced that with rest. She wasn’t too busy to sit and have a cup of coffee or take a nap in her chair when she had a moment.
She was selfless. She had sacrificial love for her family. And she never complained about anything. You would never hear her say she was having a bad day. You never heard if she had any aches or pains. You never heard a negative word out of her mouth. She never tried to draw attention to herself. She was content to listen and care for you.
She had her views on politics, but she never let it steal her peace. She shared a love of sports – every sport there is. She was always available to talk on the phone or visit. She was never in a hurry. She always had time for playing cards or dominoes. She never wanted to be a burden, so if you were coming by to pick her up, she was always dressed and ready to go by the door awaiting your arrival.
She was frugal. She recycled her plastic food containers and turned them into Tupperware. She used every resource and didn’t waste a thing. She didn’t lavish herself with fancy clothes or furniture, or fine dining. She was content with what she had and if it wasn’t broken, then it sure didn’t need replaced.
Having been a teacher, learning came naturally to her. She always found ways to keep her mind sharpened – whether it was crossword puzzles or reading, she never stopped learning. She was determined and never used age as an excuse. When the internet became available, she got a computer and took a class on how to use it. She actually took classes for many things; she was a lifelong student. She even had a Facebook account and followed her family and friends.
Her faith, though, is one of the main things we will remember about her most. Whenever we visited her and Grandpa, they took us to church. She encouraged us to learn the books of the Bible. She often prayed for us and she made it a habit of reminding all of us about Jesus in every greeting card. She had us read from the Bible at Christmas and Easter. Her desire was for each of her family members to be walking with the Lord. She knew she was created in the image of God and she reminded us we were too. She knew Her Savior Jesus, had a personal relationship with Him, and lived her life for the purpose of bringing Him glory. She exampled Christ in all she did. She wasn’t perfect, but she was as close as you could get. She loved like Christ. We thank the Lord for Grandma because we know it was her prayers that helped us get where we are – they kept us going, kept us safe, and encouraged us when we needed it most.
We read about godly heritage in 2 Timothy 1:5, where we learn that Timothy had a godly mother and grandmother – two women in his life who had sincere faith in Christ and passed that faith on to Timothy. Grandma had sincere faith in Christ, and she passed on to us the knowledge of Christ. She wanted faith in Christ to dwell in us. She wanted us to have a personal relationship with Christ. That’s why she prayed for each of us. She wanted so bad for us to know Christ, not just know about Him, but really know Him as our personal Lord and Savior. She desired to see the fruit of salvation in our life.
Her legacy is rich – her life was so full. She truly lived an abundant life! We are better people because of her. Many can say they have a great mom or a wonderful grandma, but we were truly blessed. Her life challenges us to follow her godly example. 3 John 1:4 says, “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.” Grandma would certainly have felt that, but would have also applied it to her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren.
As Mother’s Day has come and gone, and we reflect back on her life, her example continues to challenge us to follow in her footsteps. We are challenged to share our faith with our own families, take time to be hospitable, share a cup of coffee with a friend, lend a listening ear, start a garden, and never stop learning.
We’re so thankful that our future has been secured and that we will see Grandma again. 1 Thess. 4:13 reminds believers, we don’t grieve as though we have no hope. We have hope and rejoice because we will be together again. So as we grieve, we are reminded that we don’t grieve for Grandma. We are sad because we have to endure our time here on earth now without her. When Grandma closed her eyes and took her last breath on earth, she opened her eyes in heaven with Jesus. And no doubt she heard the words from Matt. 25:21, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord.”