Grandmother's Godliness

I wrote this MOTHER'S DAY of 2010...and never finished it:
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Years ago my family started the tradition of taking hubby's grandmother, Grandmomma, out to a local "fish camp" for a catfish dinner. 

As years have gone by our party has grown to include aunts, uncles, and cousins etc. 

As more years have gone by Grandmomma doesn't like to leave her house...so we bring the catfish dinner to her.

It is a lovely time on the river sharing stories and spending time as family.

This year, Grandmomma, seemed less herself. Frail. Almost like this "brood" was an intrusion...not that she wasn't thankful...she is much too southern for that.  It is just that it seemed like a bit much.  Maybe she was just tired.

Later in the day as things winded down...and many had left...she was coming to sit down and she said "one day when you are 86 years have gone by you'll understand..." smiling at me. 

She is the sweetest woman.

I looked at her, it was quiet. Just us. I said

"Grandmomma what is the most amazing 

thing you have seen in your 86 years?"

She looked up, pondering, and said  ..."well... I don't know."  She thought a bit and then

"I guess it would have to be electricity after the Great Depression."

ELECTRICITY... I thought...something I completely take for granted is the most amazing thing she has seen in her 86 years.  

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Well, this morning...IT WAS FINISHED! 

Grandmomma went to be with her Lord and Savior! 

I never finished this because I had things to confirm...pictures to find...and well...look, here it is almost a year later...

The whole point of writing this story, that I never finished, was to tell the REST of the story. 

Here it is:

After hearing the electricity story...I was humbled to sit in the presence of a woman I admired so much. 

I asked her: "Grandmomma would you recite some scripture for me?"  See...she had a gift for the scripture.  She could recite entire books of scripture...

She recited this:

 ¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
 ²And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
 ³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
 ⁴Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
 ⁵Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
 ⁶Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
 ⁷Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
 ⁸Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
 ⁹For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
 ¹⁰But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
 ¹¹When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
 ¹²For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
 ¹³And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1 Corinthians 13, King James Version)

She got stuck a a few words as her memory was playing tricks on her...and I grabbed the bible on her table, that my hubby and I had purchased for her because hers was worn and falling apart...and well...I found that what she memorized was King James Version....and what we bought was New King James Version...and the words didn't match up perfectly...I had to go did up her bible...it was beautiful.  I thought I had someone take a picture of it--but I can't find it (one of the reasons for delay).  

The other thing that struck me was the word CHARITY instead of what I was used to LOVE----and I wanted to search it out and find out why new translations changed the word.  Time...won...I have not done that in depth study.  Just spoke to a few...pondered it.  

The last thing was this INSPIRED me! When her sight failed her...the scripture in her HEART did not! Though she may not remember what day of the week it was...she knew what her Lord said.  I set out...to memorize...and well...it too in like this blog...unfinished.  

As I admire the life of Joyce Compton...she spurs me on.  Last night when received that heartbreaking call that she had died...it was the thought of her in the arms of Christ, healed and made whole, that gave me comfort! 

I know she is now in the crowd spurring us all on!  

 ¹ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2, New King James Version)

Let us run the race of faith.