Last night my mom’s mom passed away.
My brother and I never called her Grandma though. Because of a hearing problem my brother suffered from when he was young we called her Baba. She was a wonderful woman who had been suffering from many diseases for many years. We’re kinda glad that she is done suffering and in peace now.
My Grandfather passed away three years ago during my freshman year in college. It’s hard to think they are gone. But to think and know them together – that was beauty, that was romance, that was more than 50 years with a life partner that went through many highs and lows with I’m sure.
Here they are posing with their “Grammy Camp” t-shirts. This was when the cousins would come together for a couple weeks during the summer at Grandma’s house. We would all hang out, swim in Baba’s pool, ride horses at her friends house, get hair cuts, celebrate Trevor’s birthday, learn how to ride bikes, take a ride on the 1 cent pony at the store…be a family together.
I was thinking last night how much I love my family yet how it’s hard to show them when they’re far away or hard to tell them when I don’t see them often. Yet, it is my family who has helped influence my life the most ecspecially as I was growing up. They taught me how to share, love the differences in people, be thankful for who God’s placed in my life – so, it’s not that I’ve run out of wonderful things to say about my family, I’m just speechless. They’re one of the greatest gifts my God has given me and I wouldn’t trade any of them for anything. I hope they know that wherever they are.
Part of me makes it hard to to say all of this because I’m still learning what real love is. Real, genuine, selfless, pure, and holy love. I’m still not sure. For months, even years, I’ve been yearning to know and understand and practice this kind of love that I read about all the time in the Scriptures. So, that’s where I went again last night.
One Easter break I went to visit and care for Baba. She told me that 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, was one of her favorites. Last night I wrinkled the pages of 1 Corinthians 13 with my tears as I read through the powerful words. It was, to say the least, extremely convicting. My heart broke as the Lord humbled me before His merciful love. He also warmed me to know that these holy words were in my Baba’s heart. They became a sweet challenge to me as I continue to live according to His beautiful Word. He’s gonna continue to show me by example and through His Word the power and purpose of His love.
Read 1 Corinthians 13, for real. Read it because you want to find love. Read it because Jesus Christ died as a sacrifice to be in a loving relationship with you. Read it because He may show you people in your life who’ve loved you, thank them. Or He may show you people in your life you need to love, love them.
>>This picture came from Baba and Pop-pop’s (grandma and grandpa’s) 40th wedding anniversary party in 1987. Their lives were filled with love. (And the blonde little bandit in the corner stealing the icing off the cake is me)
