How I Learned What Faithfulness Looks Like

I went to church with some friends a couple of weeks ago and as I was heading home realized I would be passing by the church my grandma used to attend. I decided to steer my car towards grandma’s old stomping grounds and take a trip down memory lane and sure enough when I pulled up in front of the church so many thoughts and memories began to flood my mind.

I accompanied my grandma to church on a regular basis and spent a lot of time inside the church I was parked in front of and as I sat in front of that church I began to remember…

I remember how she smelled like roses and coffee.

I remembered that I would sit in the back of the church right next to my grandma.  She always sat in the back so her wheelchair was not in the aisle and the ushers would have a chair there for me every Sunday, so I could sit right beside her.

I remembered how I loved listening to her sing, she had that grandma warble (think Katherine Hepburn, On Golden Pond) and her vocal abilities were not all that stellar but the conviction and fervor with which she sang greatly impressed me.

I remember asking Jesus into my heart at 5 years of age in Mrs. Foulon’s Sunday School class inside that church.

I remember singing; I believe my first solo inside that church at my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary, “I keep falling in love with Him” and I believe there were motions involved 🙂

I remember meeting there with a bunch of other people and my grandma & I loading on a bus to go to the Billy Graham crusade.

I remember her favorite hymn was “How Great Thou Art”, but she knew all of them.

I remember seeing her many times at her dining room table with her bible out and the daily bread devotional next to it.  She had no use of her arms or legs, but would use her clenched hands or her mouth to slide the page of the bible so she could continue.  The thing I also knew about my grandma is that, she was at that table every morning, even when I wasn’t there watching.

As I sat in my car remembering this precious lady, I was really overwhelmed with thankfulness for such an example.  It wasn’t a loud example that shouted “look at me”, it was just who she was.

Looking back at my grandma’s life through adult eyes, I know that her life was less than ideal.  There were relationships strained that I know she had to have anguish and great sadness over, there were her great physical limitations and the pain and frustration that would surely come from battling disease on a daily basis, but as a child I had no concept of this from what my grandma said or did.  All I knew is she loved me and I loved her and time with her was sweet.

Over 25 years since she’s been gone and I still miss her and I am more thankful than ever that I had her to model for me what faithfulness to those you love and most importantly to God truly looks like.  Just in case you’re wondering people it isn’t always pretty and it is rarely easy, but my grandma showed me it’s always worth it.

Looking forward to our reunion someday and hoping I get to be right next to her when “How Great Thou Art” begins to play!