Shawn and I both recently lost our grandmothers. My Nan died last September, and Shawn's grandmother died last week. It's been hard losing the women who, for all intents and purposes, were the matriarchs of our families. Not a day goes by I don't miss my Nan, and I'm grateful for the daily reminders of her I'm given, and I'm grateful for the lessons she taught me. Those were the real gifts she gave us grandchildren, and, in turn, her great grandchildren (and even a few great great grands), not the material things. I was not close to Shawn's grandmother, but I am incredibly grateful to her for how she raised Shawn's mom, who then raised the husband I have now, and the daddy our children have. Shawn is the real gift I was given by those two amazing women. The ways these grandmothers led their lives has given us so much to think about, be grateful for, and aspire to.
Both grandmothers didn't necessarily have easy lives. Both worked hard, both raised multiple children, and both faced various hardships. Towards the end, they both suffered a great deal, physically. Physically, life wasn't always peaches and cream. Is it really for anyone, though?
That's not my point here, though. I don't want to concentrate on that part. I want to concentrate on what they taught us, and the legacies they left behind in the wake of those hardships.
It's all in how you handle it.
Both women were women of Christ. They were true believers, and they set the precedent for their families. To the rest of us, they never wavered in their beliefs. I grew up watching Nanny read her Bible daily, pray daily, attend church regularly, and lead a life worthy of our Father. I cannot remember a time when my grandmother had an unkind word to say about anyone. I don't remember hearing her ever complain. Joy found in our Father was her preferred way of life. Shawn grew up watching his own grandmother do the same. They loved as Christ does, leading by example. Despite their hardships, they lived lives of joy. Right up until the very end, my grandmother was a happy, content, joyful woman. They found their joy in Christ, and lived lives of praise. Their love, and their joy, are their legacies.
One of the stories told about Shawn's grandmother this week was about her unwavering faith in the face of personal loss and devastation. When asked how she could continue to believe, she replied, "How can I not?"
This had led to quite a bit of discussion in our family. How can we not continue to believe, continue in our faith, continue to be grateful to, pray to, worship, praise and serve our Father in the wake of whatever happens? If we do not, then what has it all been for? If we do not continue in our path as believers, how could any possible good ever come out of what is handed to us?
God does not do these things to us, just as He did not do any of the things that happened to Shawn's grandmother. What God does do is give us the tools to get out of these messes. He's given us the ultimate tool, the best instructions--His written word--to handle what comes our way.
We've been given quite a bit to think about this week, and I'm grateful to Shawn's grandmother for this. What will our legacy be? How will we be remembered? I want to be remembered as the person who never gave up on God. He never gives up on us, and I want to live a life worthy of that. I want to live a life worthy of the example my own grandmother set.
What will your own legacy be?
