Kindred Spirits

"A Grandma is like an angel, who takes you under her wing - she prays and watches over you, and she'd give you anything."

To say that I have been blessed by some amazing role models and mentors in my life would be a huge understatement.  The older I get, the more I realize and appreciate the role my friends and family have played in helping me to learn life's most important lessons.  I think God uses the people in our lives to be His hands and feet to teach us what His love and grace really look like.  The unconditional and vast love of God is something I will never be able to fully wrap my mind around because from a human perspective it doesn't make any logical sense.  Pragmatically, creation is flawed and it doesn't make sense that someone could love a creation that constantly denies them and rebels against them....so how much more beautiful is it that we have a God who loves outside of the boundaries of our imperfections.  And while this whole and perfect love cannot be replicated, my understanding of the Savior's love for me is constantly deepening and transforming.  Day-by-day, as I am loved by my friends and family, I see glimpses of God's face and His amazing love for us - praise God for the mysterious ways He reveals Himself to us even though we are often distracted to see them.

I am so grateful for the loving community that I have surrounding me because each of them is a completely unique and different blessing in my life and my journey of faith.  I think we all go through seasons of life when we are able to appreciate God's mercies for us in a new light.  Our perspectives can change as the focus of our attention changes, and lately I have been focusing on how grateful I am for my Grandma.  I have not doubted for a minute that my Grandma has always loved me and been there for me, but I never thought about how much I admire her sweet soul and spirit.  Whenever we have been together recently, I see more and more how similar my Grandma and I are.  

Much like me, my Grandma tends to be more of an introvert.  Instead of questioning why I am more quiet, she understands that I am re-charged in a different way sometimes.  She can connect with me in a way that doesn't rely solely on verbal communication.  Some of the sweetest lessons from my Grandma haven't just been spoken, but acted out in love, support, and quality time.  I have been taught by my family that there is more value in being present and actively involved in one another's lives than all that money could ever buy.  My Grandma's soft spirit and kind heart are always there to comfort and love each of her grandchildren - to remind us that each of us are precious and beautiful, not only to her, but also to God.  The more time I spend with her, the more I admire her beauty and grace - I pray that she knows just how much she means to me.  And I hope that one day when I grow up that I can be the kind of mom and grandma that I have seen her be; that I can love how she has loved me so that my life can be such a glorious reflection of God's love and grace at work.  I long for my life to shine the light of Christ as clearly as it does in my Grandma so that I might be the same reminder of God at work all around us for the people in my life.

"Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever."

From my high school graduation - her mouth is closed and her eyes are even open :) Anyone who knows my Grandma knows how much of a feat this truly is!