My Grandma

Everyone has two types of Grandmother: The nice one and the strict one, or at least I certainly did!

My nice Grandma is cuddly, buying sweets when my parents had previously denied me them, giving me money when I didn't need it and baking wonderful cakes. My strict Grandma didn't do any of those things. In fact, the closest I ever got to a thoughtful gift was the ability to choose a Bible of my choice for my sixteenth birthday. I already had four bibles but I grasped the oppurtunity as this was a vast improvement on the most common Christmas gift I received, blank video tapes - a gift I had to contend with two Christmas' in a row.

I'm not the best at relationships with members of my external family. It doesn't help that there are so many of us (I am one of seventeen cousins) or that we live at such different corners of the country. Modern technology and social networking has been a great help for the cousins as we all attend different universities and begin new jobs. Unfortunately, my grandparents aren't as technologically savvy, and keeping in contact with them has been much harder.

I recently went to stay with my 'strict' Grandma. In all honesty, it was an arrangement of initial convenience -I had planned a weekend with some friends, and staying with my Grandparents gave me free accommodation. Prior to leaving, I can't say that staying with my Grandparents was the part of the weekend I was most excited about.

However, I think that the weekend I spent with my Grandparents was, in actual fact, one of the best weekends I've had there in a long time. I felt welcomed into a warm loving and hospitable Christian home (warm being a rarity with my money saving grandparents). I was given plenty of food (again, a rarity with my grandmother) and even a front door key! I even attended church with them on Sunday; TWICE.

At my grandparents church that Sunday evening, my presumptions of my Grandma were drastically changed. Sitting alone after the service, in an unfamiliar and slightly odd church, I was approached by a gentle, quiet old lady.
'I haven't seen you before. Are you new?' She asked.
I replied that I was just visiting, and explained who I was. Much to my surprise, when I later pointed out who my Grandparents were, I was astonished at her response.
'Ah, Hannah. It's lovely to meet you. I'm in a prayer triplet with your Grandma. We pray for you very regularly. It's wonderful to finally put a face to the name'.

My respect for my Grandmother suddenly rocketed. I had no idea that this woman, who previously I had perceived to be judgemental and uncaring was totally the opposite - she just didn't need to tell everyone about it. I was humbled by the knowledge that all this time, whilst I have strongly disliked her, she has continued to pray for me. And equally humbled that a woman of her age is such an awesome woman of faith, regularly meeting with a prayer triplet and remaining accountable.

I have alot to learn from those older than me. From those a few years my senior to those reaching the end of their lives, I know so little about life, about faith, about God and about following Him. I want to be a woman of faith like my Grandma. And I want to be humble, like her. I might not dig her choice of Christmas presents, but I definitely dig faith like this.

I might just go and pay a visit again.