Maybe most people think of my grandmother with words of tenderness. And she certainly had a tender & sweet, sweet spirit. But in her, there was strength of steel as well, a fiercely resilient character that kept her going through tough times, a quiet refusal to give in to despair or sadness. Her radiant joy expressed itself day in and day out through a song in her heart, a smile on her face, and a determination to praise God even in the midst of pain.
So, as I have thought about what to share today, the word that comes to my mind is tenacious. Maybe it’s not the first word that people would think of to describe my grandmother, but somehow it seems fitting. There is something very tenacious about the way she lived her life and the way she loved others. Tenacious is a word that I can relate to, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that. I can be stubborn. It might even run in our family. But, oh, how I want to be tenacious like she was, in the things that matter.
I want to be tenacious in prayer like she was, starting each day in prayer with my grandfather for over sixty years. She was a prayer warrior, praying for each family member by name, on her knees at times, and activating the prayer chain at church anytime there was a need, a sickness, a burden. She used to read the newspaper and be so moved with a story of someone hurting or some tragedy, that she would sit down and write them a note. Oh, her notes and letters. When others might shy away, my grandmother would reach out and pray and show her concern - for family, for church members, for complete strangers. While some people might say they would lift you up in prayer, Grandma would, fervently and faithfully. And you didn’t even have to ask. God wasn’t a distant far off being. He was a close friend, Abba Father, who was the first one to call. God honored her prayers, sometimes we would joke she had a direct line to God. He revealed Himself to her over and over. Oh, I want a prayer life like that. I want to be known as she was for lifting others up in prayer and interceding on their behalf. I want people to know that when I offer to pray for them, I will, fervently and faithfully, tenaciously caring about others and bringing them before the Father.
I also want to be tenacious like my grandmother in the way that she loved. My grandmother had a tenacious love for everyone in her life. She had a tenacious love for God, lived out through precious time in prayer and a lifetime of service at her church. She had a tenacious love for my grandfather, lived out over 60 years of marriage through war and peace, through sickness and health, through seasons of hardship and seasons of harvest. She had a tenacious love for her family - for her brothers & sisters, her children & grandchildren. Her love was like the Energizer bunny. It kept on going & going, giving & giving. It was a love that was always welcoming and never faded away. It never gave up on anyone and kept on loving no matter what the circumstances. It was a love that cooked okra because it was my favorite meal, or sent notes or letters just because. It was a love that laughed & cried alongside you and would hunt you down if she thought she had hurt your feelings. It was a love that so reflected the Father’s love – how deep & wide. Wow! I want to love like she did. I want to love in spite of disagreements, in spite of hardship. I want to love extravagantly and abundantly, welcoming new friends and family into my life. I want to love tangibly and tenaciously like that.
This past year has been a tough one for our family, as we watched Grandma decline in health. There have been many moments of sadness and grief. But there has also been joy, a tenacious joy undergirding the sadness, as Grandma continued to sing along to old hymns and tell funny stories. As she got confused more and more, it was as if God was giving her new ways to enjoy her sense of humor, and we heard stories of those who had passed away long ago. There is sadness, today, and sadness in our hearts because we will miss her greatly. But there is also joy, joy that she is no longer suffering, joy that she is in her heavenly home, joy that we have been a part of her life. She has left a lasting legacy of love and laughter, of faith and prayer, of joy & gladness.
Check out Romans 8: 35-39 to read about the tenacious nature of God's love for yourself.
How have you experienced God's tenacious love in your life? Do you have people that have loved you tenaciously? How have you shown that tenacious love to others? I would love to hear your stories.
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