earlier this fall, we said goodbye to my precious grandmother who'd battled alzheimers disease for the past ten years. it's been very bittersweet. she is now set free from the deteriorated mind and body and is in fullness of joy with Jesus. but we miss her terribly.
God has been showing me so much through her death...
this life here is but a blink of an eye. am i living today completely surrendered and for the glory of
God?
there is so much 'stuff' i can let get in the way of just enjoying the Lord and allowing Him to use me
to be a blessing to those He has placed in my life.
life is so simple. yet i can make it so complicated.
immediately as i began to grieve, this letter below came to mind. it reminds me not only of my precious grandma but also serves as a reminder of the kind of woman of the Lord i long to be.
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| elijah and grandma . july 2010 |
Dearest Grandma,
Your beautiful life has impacted this world in ways beyond what your humble heart could ever know. You have been one of the most influential women in my life; however, I know my life is only one of many you’ve impacted greatly.
Beginning from my earliest memories, I was intrigued by you and wondered what it was that made you so special. It never mattered what we were doing, I always loved being with you and learning from you. And although I’m flooded by incredible memories with you throughout the years, there are a few characteristics that have had the greatest impact on my life.
Your unconditional love. You always made me feel like I was loved just for the unique person I was. Not because of what I did or didn’t do. Not because of how I looked or didn’t look. No matter what, I knew you loved me. And I watched how you loved others – unconditionally. No one had to compete for your love, because you had plenty of love to share with all who God placed in your life.
Thank you for unconditionally loving me, Grandma.
Your servant’s heart. You never sat down if there was someone who you could serve. And you did so always with a joyful, willing heart. Grandma, you lived a selfless life of always putting others first. And as I watched you so closely, you made it such an attractive quality. One I would then pray for in the years to come – a true heart of a servant.
Thank you for selflessly serving me, Grandma.
Your words of grace. You always spoke with such kindness and grace. Whether you were speaking directly to me or to others, you had only good things to say. You were quick to encourage and build up people and never did I hear you speak poorly about another. As I watched you, you made it look so natural and easy to speak kindly to and about others.
Thank you for speaking words of grace and kindness to me, Grandma.
Although I always knew you went to church, it wasn’t until my college years when I really began to have a close personal relationship with Jesus myself, where I began to realize I was so intrigued by and drawn to you because you, Grandma, had always been such a beautiful reflection of Jesus. You loved Jesus with all your heart and then you let Him use you.
I will always remember what you shared with me when I was preparing to go on my first mission trip. For the first time, I learned you had dreamed of being a missionary when you were a little girl. You then went on to explain that God had other things in store for you.
Grandma, I’m so thankful God had plans for you beyond what you had planned for yourself. You may not have spent your life ministering to others in a foreign land, but you did spend your life faithfully ministering to those God put into your care. Grandma, thank you for faithfully ministering to me through the years. And I know many others would say the same to you.
You spent your life reflecting Jesus in the most simple of ways and now you are spending eternity in the presence of Jesus where I look forward to joining you someday. But until that day comes, by God’s grace, I will follow your example and keep my relationship with Jesus most important and then faithfully let Him use me.
Thank you, Grandma, for being such a beautiful reflection of Jesus. God has used you to greatly impact my life and the lives of many.
I miss you already.
Her children (and grandchildren) rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Proverbs 31:28
