Tag: Grandmother

When I consider the term poverty in spirit I am reminded of my Grandmother.
My grandmother was the picture of humility. Always, meek and eager to help. She led a simple life of devotion in the isolation of a ranch in West Texas. She attended a church of less than twenty-five people situated between two massive properties. She was the only member of the tiny church who was not related to one of the two families which owned the sounding property. This was where her funeral was held.

I remember the moment when I realized she was going to die. She had been battling cancer for some time, and for a while things were looking good. It was Christmas Day and we had just finished a late dinner. We had opened presents with all the extended family, and the combination of shredded wrapping paper and dirty dishes created an environment that testified to the excitement of the day. I absentmindedly began to clean up along with my aunts, and I realized my grandmother was resting on the couch. She wasn’t helping us clean. For a moment I was confused. She was always the first to serve and looked for anyway to help even when she was tired. I remember her washing dishes, changing dipper, watching children cleaning floors all without ever being asked. Why wasn’t she helping us now? Then I realized she was too sick to help. She could no longer serve the ones she loved. Although we eagerly longed to serve her especially in her hour of greatest need, that is not what she lived for. She lived to not to be served but to serve, and her health had robed that from her. A few months later she died surrounded by her daughters. It was a tender, bitter-sweet moment when she left us to be with Jesus. She had no more work here with us, but I know she is serving her master in heaven.