Remember grandparents on Sunday

Grandparents are special blessings. Some of my most treasured memories are those of “Granny and Granddaddy.” Their influence upon my life remains today.

Granny’s singing filled every facet of her life. She sang while cooking, gardening, churning butter, quilting, rocking her grandchildren and much more. She sang praises to her God every day. I loved to hear her sing. Sometimes she cried while singing, but that didn’t stop her. She loved her Savior.

Summer revivals were held under a big tent. Granny took pallets for my brother and me. The smell of that rich brown earth and hearing my Granny’s singing brought sweet sleep. I found myself the next morning on Granny’s soft feather bed, smelling Granny’s biscuits cooking on her wood burning stove and hearing her rendition of those faith-filled hymns.

Granny’s songs are permanently stamped in my special book of memories. I seldom have to look at a hymnal at church. I know most of them by heart for I learned them on my Granny’s knees. Many times I awaken in the night with some of those songs in my heart.

The importance of the influence of grandparents is mentioned in 11 Timothy 1:5-7: “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (NIV). Timothy’s grandmother and mother had passed their strong faith down to him.

The importance of grandparents in grandchildren’s lives cannot be overstated.

Godly families build a strong nation. To me, living without lasting values is a wasted life. I want my grandchildren to have the blessing of a grandmother and grandfather’s faith:

“One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness” (Psalm 145:4-7 NIV).

Granny, along with Joshua of old, marked her ancestors with “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Granny’s daily advice still lingers in my file of memorable blessings. “The Lord is sure good to us. Count your blessings every day and you will find priceless things you never knew you had.” Her advice is good for all of us today.

Granny made her heavenly flight many years ago. She lived a long full life. At age 92, she still encouraged, still loved and still sang about Jesus. The Bible, so close to her heart, reached out to her family with words of comfort and songs of faith.

When I received the call about Granny’s passing at three o’clock in the morning I felt a deep loss, but I could not help but be happy for her. Being released from a tired weary body, she had entered that “land that is fairer than day,” one of her favorite songs.

My husband and I rushed to the hospital. Granny was as beautiful in death as she was in life.

As we walked out of the hospital the light of dawn appeared over the horizon.

The holy hush of daybreak brought a quiet calm to our hearts. Birds had already begun to sing their daily psalms of praise and I remembered Granny’s overpowering songs of faith.

I stopped my husband as we walked to the car. “Shhhh. Shhhh. Can you hear it?

“What,” he replied.

I was sure I heard someone singing. I put my arms around my husband and looking at the breathtaking sunrise, I suddenly exclaimed:

“Isn’t it a beautiful day to go to heaven?”