The Bible says the Lord delights in you. [Zephaniah 3:17]
Delights in YOU.
To be delighted in is
an amazing thing, especially when coming from our Creator. It’s hard to imagine really, seeing how he
also knows all our flaws. However, to be
delighted in is to know you are loved, valued and cherished despite our
ourselves. To find another human who
also delights in you is a gift.
God sent me a gift in the form of my grandmother,
MamaYearty. When I was with my
grandmother as a child, she made me feel so very cherished. Time stood still when we were together. Looking back it’s the small moments that
left the biggest impact. I could lay my
head in her lap and she would play with my hair in the most soothing manner for
what seemed like hours- and then act like I was the one doing her the
favor. It was watching little house on
the prairie episodes together and then laughing at how cheesy they were. It was baking blueberry muffins together when
I spent the night. It came in the form
of faithful attendance at countless softball games on hot, hot days. It was the way she made me feel like I had
all of her attention, when we were together.
Never did I feel rushed in her presence or like a silly little
girl. I often heard her refer to me as
“My Shannon”-I was her Shannon & she was my gift.
As much as I felt like the center of her universe, it was
very evident that her heart was the Lords.
I can remember her doing bible studies and quite times when I was at her
house. What a wonderful example! I also remember going to church with
her. She had a wonderful sense of
humor. And I loved how we could convey
messages to each other by just a look.
For instance, I have a distinct memory of standing in the pew with her
and my grandfather. And though my family
does have many beautiful voices, my grandfather’s was not one of them (God
bless him J). This small fact didn’t stop him one bit from
belting out a hymn loudly.. My
grandmother would look at me with her expressive big brown eyes that have been
passed down through generations and just giggle with me. I know God loves a man who worships him in
abandonment and we loved him to- but our ears needed some divine healing
afterwards. She had such a lovely sense
of humor and a heart of gold.
When I was 17 my grandparents stopped by my house. Their green ford ranger truck was parked
outside. They handed me the keys and
told me they wanted to GIVE it to me. It
wasn’t my birthday, even if it was that wouldn’t warrant the present of a CAR,
they just wanted to give it to me. I
was humbled and taken aback. They said
they knew it wasn’t the ideal car for a teenage girl but nonetheless they felt
compelled to give it to me. My
grandmother said, “You’ve never complained about not having a car and that
makes me proud.” Due to her short
stature she preferred to drive cars where you sit up high and suspected that I
would too. She was right- I still to
this day prefer bigger automobiles. This
was such a tangible lesson on God’s grace in my life. I didn’t deserve that car but they gave it to
me anyway.
Maybe she was so good at being present in the current moment
because she knew that she wouldn’t always have a choice. Unfortunately due to Alzheimer’s (and I
suspect what would be classified as early onset Alzheimer’s) her memory began
to slip. By the time I entered college
her world recall began to fail among many other things. When she met my husband I can remember her
trying so very hard to tell me something.
It took her a few moments but she was able to tell me “he sure is pretty
to look at” (sorry MG)! J And I remember laughing through blurry eyes
because I valued her thoughts and the effort it took to convey such a message. My junior year of college I went with my dad
and grandparents to look at assisted living facilities. She
very much needed to go but had resisted the idea for so long. We thought my presence there might help
things. Perhaps it did, I’m not sure but
I do know it was heart-wrenching. It was a tough time in our family as we could
all see that the road ahead was full of challenges. One day I had the simple realization that although
she may forget everyone around her and maybe even Jesus, He would not forget
her. The Cross triumphs even the
darkest of diseases. It’s simple I know but it resonated with me
despite all the many questions I had (and honestly still have). God was with
her & our family as our world began to change. More than a decade later I can testify that His
grace proved sufficient till the end.
MamaYearty words and actions taught me countless lessons: Love God, love your husband, respect his
parents, take care of your skin and protect it from the sun, peep toed heels
are a staple in any woman’s wardrobe, take care of your body and stay in shape,
serve others, practice your right to vote, hard work is good for your soul, and
no matter how old your children get they are always going to be your children.
While those are valuable lessons,oh how I long to sit down
with her face-to-face, woman-to-woman, mother-to- mother and ask even more
questions that aren’t on a young girl’s radar.
How do you pick a good juicy cantaloupe every time? What is your recipe for Thanksgiving
dressing? How did your body react to
pregnancy (we have a similar build and I wondered about her throughout my first
pregnancy)? Most of all I would inquire about
raising two boys! It can be a
challenge, let me tell you! Also, my
dad hands were severly burned before he was two. This caused him to go through several
surgeries & skin grafts during childhood- as a mom I can’t imagine, but one
would have to think the Lord taught her many things through that
experience. And honestly, I just wish
she could have met my kids. I think she
would have been tickled pink by their personalities and get great joy watching
my dad excel at being a grandfather. He
too savors my kids. I know he had a
wonderful example to follow. And thus one
of the many ways her legacy lives on.
My grandmother passed away on Sunday after more than a
decade of being imprisoned by Alzheimer’s.
I’m so overjoyed for her new found freedom and restoration in
Heaven. She left such an amazing legacy
here on Earth and an awful disease such as Alzheimer’s can’t even begin to
tarnish that. She is fully restored,
with a mind as sharp as tack, and being delighted in by her loved ones. I
imagine she is singing praise to her Savior side-by-side with my grandfather. I can’t wait to be reunited with them
both. I’m just trusting God that in Heaven ear plugs
aren’t needed J
