When Grandmother Prayed...

I hold within my heart and hands, a letter from my grandmother - writing to my father about the time when grandpa was dieing.

He'd been an invalid for most of my dad's life. Due to a stroke, grandpa struggled to talk ... one word at a time. He spoke words with stops...you know, like a telegram :)

The night he died - he told grandmother ...

"Go home.  Not afraid."

She had prayed for grandpa's salvation throughout their married years. She and the children went to church without him. She raised their children to know God.

Then one day, grandpa told her...

"Jesus came.  Give His blood.  Over my head.  Pour all over."


Later - as they watched the tornado come, he said...
"Not afraid.  Ready.  Die.  Don't care.  Happy.  Love you.  Love kids.  * Well Jr preach".... and they both cried together.

Still unafraid to die, grandpa sent grandmother home from the hospital that final night - to get some rest. Before climbing into bed, grandmother prayed for grandpa. And from the midst of the still dark air, grandmother heard the the voice of God...
" It is well, it is done."

Not knowing what the message meant - she simply relaxed in the knowing that God was in control. A few minutes later, the Dr called to say that grandpa had quietly passed.

"It is well, it is done."


All of Grandmother's prayers reached heaven. Grandpa had given his life to the Lord. He was ready to die. He was ready to be with the Lord.

I have pondered my grandmother's heart and tenacity towards prayer - even in a family with an unbelieving husband/father. Dad used to say that when his mother began to pray, it was as if she held a key that could unlock heaven...

"Heaven and earth came together when mama prayed."

Grandmother kept prayer journals. She wrote in the margins of her personal prayer devotionals. Often, she was vulnerable enough to insert names (family names :) 'between the lines'. Dad's name was there, his siblings, her siblings. Grandpa's name was there often. One prayer devotional in particular - that I hold within my safe keeping, sports my name inserted between the lines. :) In fact, because of her specific placement of my name - between those particular lines - I know that my grandmother knew something about me - way back then - that has taken me years past her own home-going, to understand.

I am a second generation beneficiary of my grandmother's generous prayers. 

We may never know what our prayers accomplish - but I bet all of us who have made the decision for Christ - did so because SOMEONE prayed.


NOTE:

*  "well Jr. preach" ... meaning 'Jr preaches well.'

Jr. was my dad's childhood nicname. He was named after grandpa  - everyone called him "Jr.".  God called dad to preach when he was 24 years old. Dad suffered from dyslexia and dropped out of school in the eighth grade because of ridicule over his inability to read. When God called him to preach...God taught Dad to read...and the first book he ever read was the Holy Bible :)

Jr had not only entered into a relationship with God but God had taught Jr to read!

...and Jr preached well!


Patrina