Growing up, I had a strong bond with my grandmother. We still do. She has been like a second mom to me. We share a love of talking, crocheting and reading. We both have a lot of words, and we love to share them. Recently, I spent a couple of days with my sweet grandma. It was just the two of us. There is no way to describe the feeling of warmth that floods my heart when I think about sitting on the sofa across from her chair. Her wrinkled hands embroidering beautiful roses while I crocheted an afghan.
We spent our time talking about grief, scripture, projects we are working on, the past, the present, the future. We share the pain of losing a child. We share a love of making things. We share a sadness that my grandfather is not here with us. We share a love for Nutty Bars! The truth is, we share a lot!
My grandmother will be 90 at the end of this month. We both know that she has more years behind her than in front of her. We talk about that. It’s hard for me to think about, and yet, we both know the day will come.
Our time together reminded me of two scriptures.
“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.” (Deuteronomy 11:18-21 NIV)
My grandma has lived these verses. She has had a huge influence on my faith. As a child, she was my Sunday School teacher. One Saturday morning, when I complained of being bored (about the age of 5), she sat me down at the dining room table, opened her Bible, and told me to memorize all 66 books. Not only can I still say them, since that day, I have never even once complained about being bored. She has taught me how to treat others. She has led by example. She has shared with me triumphs and struggles so that I could see God’s goodness and faithfulness. She didn’t just take me to worship, she lived God’s word and taught me to do the same.
I recently heard a minister share from the pulpit, if we only take our children to worship on Sunday and Wednesday, by the time they turn 18, they basically have the equivalent of a 2nd grade secular education. Whoa! Read that again! Second grade education. 2 Corinthians 11:3 tells us that Eve was deceived by satan’s cunning. I don’t know many second graders who are equipped to deal with cunning.
A second grade education would not have given me the foundation I needed to stay faithful to God, to deal with the difficulties of marriage, to raise my children to obey Christ or to continue to trust God even after my son died. My grandma knew that. She knew that life would be full of storms. Which is why she used every opportunity to instill God’s word in my heart. So that when satan attacked, I was equipped to fight back.
The second verse that came to mind comes from Revelation. As a church, we don’t study Revelation much. It is a difficult book to understand. I have chewed on this verse for quite some time. It really has some punch to it!
Revelation 12:11 says, “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”
Did you read that? Not only did they overcome satan, they triumphed over him for two reasons. The first being the blood of Jesus. What a gift! A blessing that we could never earn! The second reason – they shared their testimony.
They overcame because they talked about God just as the Israelites were told to do in Deuteronomy. They reminded one another of both God’s truths and His promises. We have to share with one another. That is how we grow. That is how we overcome satan. They were learning from those around them who were bold enough to say, “Let me tell you about my Jesus. Let me tell you what He has done for me.”
If we don’t teach the next generation about Jesus, there are plenty of people who will lead them away from Him. If we don’t share our testimony, our children won’t have an example to follow. Judges 2:10 says, “After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.” That is terrifying! If we don’t teach them, they won’t know.
It’s easy to share the good stuff. How long has it been since you shared about God’s faithfulness in the midst of a storm, when He didn’t answer your prayer the way you wanted.
It’s hard.
In the past, when God didn’t answer my prayers my way, I would often wonder what I had done wrong. Was I not faithful enough? Did I not give enough? Did I fail to ask forgiveness for a sin?
See why it’s so important that we share our testimony! It has only been because of faithful Christians that I have been able to quit asking myself these questions and trust God.
Let me tell you what Jesus has done for me. He has promised me an eternity with Him. He has blessed me with friends who encourage me. He has provided what I need. He has always heard my prayers. He has not always said yes to my prayers. In some cases, I am very grateful; in others, I still don’t understand why. What I can say without hesitation is that He has ALWAYS been a good, faithful, loving Father.
Those two days with my grandmother were a recharge for my soul. I left stronger than when I arrived. With knowledge and wisdom that I could not have gained anywhere else. We learn so much from listening to those wrinkled with wisdom.
I thought my relationship with my grandma was the norm. I am learning that not everyone has a grandmother who longs to share her story. I know there is a woman in the church who would love to fill that role for you. Maybe you don’t have a grandma who shares your faith or desire to talk about scripture and answer your endless questions. I know there is a woman in the church who does and will.
It might take some time and some prayer to find her. Oh, sweet friend, I hope you will start looking immediately. I have no doubt that the relationship will be a double blessing – she will bless you and you will bless her. And through all of that, God will be glorified.
Life is hard. God didn’t intend for us to do this alone. While we can’t choose the family that we are born into, we can choose to be a part of God’s family. Within that family, we will find love, strength, wisdom, encouragement, grace, kindness, compassion, and a friend who longs to walk alongside us as we look towards the cross.
With Eyes on the Cross 