My grandparents were passionate about missions and reaching people for Christ. They dreamed of serving overseas in Africa, but when my Grandma contracted polio in the 1950's, they knew their dreams would never be realized. But that didn't stop them. They actively served on mission teams, supported missionaries, and welcomed people into their home. It was because of their love for missions that 3 of their 5 children when into full-time ministry overseas. And their dreams were multiplied.
My Grandma celebrated life & loved having company over for dinner. We adopted many "aunts" & "uncles" into our "extended" family that didn't have a loving family of their own. Valentine's, Easter, Thanksgiving, birthdays, and Christmas brought new faces to the table, and lives were blessed. After their children were grown & married, my grandparents opened their upstairs bedrooms to college students & single people; and our family grew. She welcomed people with open arms. Grandpa prayed fervently for people; Grandma showered unconditional love on them.
One furlough, all her children were home & she decided to do something special with each one of her grandkids. For our special day, we visited a nursing home. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. Sitting across from her at the restaurant later, she told me she knew it wasn't how I had hoped to spend my day, but to remember the joy I had brought to lonely people that didn't have family or anyone that cared about them. Then we drew dolls on our placemats & played tic-tac-toe. I went home happy. In high school, I loved my job as a dietary aide in a nursing home & was motivated to get my work done so I could spend extra time w/ the residents.
My Grandma never taught me to crochet or how to make soup, though I've love to attribute my "natural" abilities in these areas to her. But she did teach me to love people. Some people leave an impression, others leave a legacy. I'm thankful for the legacy she left for me.
My Grandma celebrated life & loved having company over for dinner. We adopted many "aunts" & "uncles" into our "extended" family that didn't have a loving family of their own. Valentine's, Easter, Thanksgiving, birthdays, and Christmas brought new faces to the table, and lives were blessed. After their children were grown & married, my grandparents opened their upstairs bedrooms to college students & single people; and our family grew. She welcomed people with open arms. Grandpa prayed fervently for people; Grandma showered unconditional love on them.
One furlough, all her children were home & she decided to do something special with each one of her grandkids. For our special day, we visited a nursing home. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. Sitting across from her at the restaurant later, she told me she knew it wasn't how I had hoped to spend my day, but to remember the joy I had brought to lonely people that didn't have family or anyone that cared about them. Then we drew dolls on our placemats & played tic-tac-toe. I went home happy. In high school, I loved my job as a dietary aide in a nursing home & was motivated to get my work done so I could spend extra time w/ the residents.
My Grandma never taught me to crochet or how to make soup, though I've love to attribute my "natural" abilities in these areas to her. But she did teach me to love people. Some people leave an impression, others leave a legacy. I'm thankful for the legacy she left for me.
2 comments:
Great tribute to your grandmother.
Amy, you're so cute! What a great post. You are unpredictable in your blogging. I never know what you'll say next. But I always like it. ...Love you....
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