A grandma powerfully touches a child’s life. Some bring hope, others pain. But God ALWAYS uses a grandma’s life to show us his deep love.
The grandma I met gave me my middle name, Ann. She smelled like Ivory. Her skin softer than Charmin. Her eyes blue like mine.
She scooped vanilla ice cream in tall glasses and poured over root beer. Wide-eyed, I watched the froth become white lava and nearly spill over the side. A treasure of sticky, sweet memories.
I loved her.
The grandma I never met gave me my first name, Lucy. She died before I was born. Complications after a surgery.
Sad to say, I had nasty memories of her. When my mom and her sister still wore diapers, my grandma drank lye. A suicide attempt. A neighbor found her. The little girls lived in an orphanage for a year or two with a gaggle of doting nuns.
Where was the dad (my grandpa)? He hit the road during the Great Depression and never returned. When grandma took back her girls, she found comfort in booze and my mom raised her. Her painful memories became mine.
It took me years to see the blessing from the-grandma-I-never-met. Her blessing to me: Jesus. My mom had searched for Jesus and his love all her life then she let him hold her and speak tender words to her heart. She forgave her mom. Me too.
How powerful is the grandma?
As powerful as root beer floats and forgiveness. “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).
Woohoo! YOU ARE INVITED!
Sweet sisters, “The American Grandma” Kay Swatkowski is my special guest on my online radio talk show. Please listen Tuesday at 2 p.m. Eastern. This godly woman shares heart-felt stories of her own grandma and powerful love for grandkids everywhere in these uncertain times. Can’t listen live? Listen to the archived show.
Be encouraged. Stand firm. Hold onto hope
Q4U: What favorite treat did your grandma share with you? Please take a second and leave a few words in “Comments.” 🙂
Forgiveness frees you to know God deeply. . .even when hurt by Christians.
Life’s battles maim, immobilize, and mock. What’s worse? Battles in the church. Yes, we Christians can slice and dice by our sisters and brothers in Christ, as Debbie Taylor Williams learned the hard way.
The other day she told me, “I had never experienced such intense conflict within the church and was shocked and saddened. I was also hurt. I wanted to stay home instead of continuing to go to church. It was hard to continue to serve the body. God showed me, however, that I had to let go of my anger if I was going to continue to serve Him.”
Debbie felt bitter, but she didn’t let bitterness get the best of her. I invite you to hear the rest of Debbie’s story and how God showed her the path to forgiveness.
Have you walked where Debbie has? In the land of bitterness? Has a Christian sister or brother hurt you so bad that you fel like giving up and stop worshipping God at church? Debbie understands. I do too.
Yet Scripture says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Forgiving isn’t easy. But it hurts. It hurts to hold on to unforgivenss. Thank God that He has a better plan for us.
Question: Do you think it’s possible to forgive. . .always? Leave a comment and enter the book giveaway.
Forgiveness frees you to know God deeply. . .even when hurt by Christians.
Life’s battles maim, immobolize, and mock. What’s worse? Battles in the church. Yes, we Christians can slice and dice by our sisters and brothers in Christ, as Debbie Taylor Williams learned the hard way.
The other day she told me, “I had never experienced such intense conflict within the church and was shocked and saddened. I was also hurt. I wanted to stay home instead of continuing to go to church. It was hard to continue to serve the body. God showed me, however, that I had to let go of my anger if I was going to continue to serve Him.”
Debbie felt bitter, but she didn’t let bitterness get the best of her. I invite you to hear the rest of Debbie’s story and how God showed her the path to forgiveness.
Have you walked where Debbie has? In the land of bitterness? Has a Christian sister or brother hurt you so bad that you fel like giving up and stop worshipping God at church? Debbie understands. I do too.
Yet Scripture says, “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13).
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Forgiving isn’t easy. But it hurts. It hurts to hold on to unforgivenss. Thank God that He has a better plan for us.
Question: Do you think it’s possible to forgive. . .always? Leave a comment and enter the book giveaway.
My friend Karen Rabbitt, who wrote the deep, honest memoir Trading Fathers: Forgiving Dad, Embracing God — shares her dozen helps on forgiveness. You can listen to her story of healing from the consequences of sexual abuse at the hand of her dad. Moving!
1. Forgiveness is both a choice and a process. 2. Make a decision to give up anger. 3. Pray to be made willing. Or to be made willing to be made willing. 4. Feel your feelings in a safe place, with a safe person. 5.To say, “I forgive,” but never feel your pain is denial. 6. To feel your pain, anger, and sadness but never choose forgiveness is stuck. 7. Ask for grace both to feel and to forgive. 8. Study Jesus’ words on forgiveness. 9. To forgive is not to condone 10. To forgive is not to excuse. 11. To forgive doesn’t mean you don’t matter. 12. Trust God for justice.
Broken friendships hurt bad. How can you mend one? Or should you? Listen to practical ways to mend a broken friendship.
Life’s battles maim, immobilize, and mock. What’s worse? Battles in the church. Yes, we Christians can slice and dice by our sisters and brothers in Christ, as 
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