Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives.
-“Find Us Faithful” by Steve Green
I admire a lot of wonderful people who I like to call “heroes
of the faith.” However, one of the people that I admire most of all happens to
be within my own family—my grandmother. My grandmother is faithfulness
personified. She is faithful to her friends, her family, but most of all to her
Lord. However, I cannot talk about my grandmother’s faithfulness without
talking about her faithfulness to her own mother, my great-grandmother.
My great-grandmother went to be with the Lord when I was
eleven years old. However, I have very few memories of her true personality and
character. You see, my great-grandmother had Alzheimer’s disease. I don’t
remember how old I was when she was diagnosed with the disease. To be
completely honest I am not entirely sure that she ever knew that she had been
diagnosed with the disease. My grandmother knew and my aunt knew, but it was
not something they talked about with the family.
My grandmother and great-grandmother lived together; and at
that point in my life, I visited them fairly frequently. Every time I visited
them I saw nothing but unconditional, selfless love being poured of my
grandmother. What an example of loyalty and dedication she was to us kids,
especially toward the end.
Eventually, it got to the point where my grandmother had to
do everything for my great-grandmother. She even quit her job to stay home with
her fulltime. But not once did I ever hear her complain. I remember one night
when we were getting ready to go someplace and we had to take my great-grandmother
with us because she was not able to stay at home alone. When it came time to
leave, my great-grandmother became confused and did not understand how to go
down the steps. Then, when we finally got her down the steps, she could not
figure out how to get into the car. I think the whole process took around
twenty minutes or so. However, my grandmother was so patient the entire time. I
have no memories of her ever being frustrated because my great-grandmother
could not remember how to do something.
About three months before my great-grandmother passed away,
my grandmother had to do what she had tried so hard to avoid. She had to put my
great-grandmother in a nursing home. My great-grandmother had become very weak
and needed round the clock care, much more than my grandmother could provide
for her alone. However, my grandmother was just as much involved there as she
was when my great-grandmother was at home. She visited her every day and fed
her every meal. She was the epitome of selfless devotion.
I tell this story as an example of what it means to leave
behind a heritage of faithfulness. My grandmother has taught me what it means
to love unconditionally, to die to oneself, putting the needs of others before
your own. She has taught me that we may be weak and powerless on our own, but
His strength is perfect. People today wonder why their children aren’t making
it. It is because they are not leaving behind a heritage of faithfulness.
Please, let the fire of your devotion light their way.
If you do not already know Jesus as Lord of your life, I
invite you to come to do so before it is eternally too late for you. If you
will turn from all sin and trust Jesus alone to save you, He will save you
today and keep you saved forever.
