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This past week my grandma went home to be with Jesus.
On August 3rd she would have turned 90! I was celebrating with her that she finally got to go home to be with the one she loved so dearly, her Abba!
If it were not for my grandmother (and my grandfather, who went to be with Jesus nearly 20 years ago) it is very possible that I would not be a Christ follower (Christian) today! Because of my parents divorce when I was 18 months old, my dad remarried a woman whose parents (my grandparents) were ministers in a Pentecostal church. In fact my grandfather gave his life to Christ at Canyon Country Foursquare Church; also known today as the Sanctuary. My grandparents began taking myself and my sisters to church when I was only 7 years old. I asked Jesus to be Lord of my life and forgive me of my sins when I was 8 years old in a Sunday School Class at Sepulveda Foursquare Church.
My grandparents lived with our family off an on throughout most of my school days. It was in those formable years that I saw my grandma actually live a life of worship without waiver. I never saw or heard of her doubting God’s love for her. I never saw fear in her, even when they had nothing or my grandfather was being rushed to the hospital by ambulance for the umpteenth time. I never heard her raise her voice in anger, or say an unkind thing to another person. I never heard a course joke from her mouth, or make fun of another person. I am pretty sure she did not know the definition of sarcasm, let alone use it!
I tried at her funeral to summarize who my grandma was not only to me but to an enormous family of 7 children, 22 grandchildren and too many great and great-great grandchildren to count. The best way I could verbalize it would to speak of the fruits of the Spirit. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” Galatians 5:22, 23
The legacy that my grandma left is not only represented in our family who have chosen to be Christ followers, but in the life that she lived daily. My grandma loved unconditionally (and believe me there are many in our family that have been hard to love), she always had joy in the midst of trials, when she walked into a room she brought peace with her. Her patience was beyond what anyone could have asked for. (Living with my grandpa for over 50 years was proof of that) Not only was my grandma kind and showed goodness in her actions, but in her tone of voice. Her gentle spirit helped to bring others to repentance and never once did I ever see my grandma lose her temper or shout at someone. She always exercised self control.
I am part of the legacy that my grandma leaves. Though I struggle daily to walk fully in the fruit of the Spirit I am blessed to have had a role model to look back on the rest of my life that assures me that I can do it too. I can represent the love of God and have the fruit of the Spirit daily in my life and I can leave a legacy that will spur others on to do the same! I will miss my grandma in the natural, but I know that one day we will be reunited together in the presence of our Abba!
Pastor Julie
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