Going Back to My Roots

We received a call a few weeks ago saying that my sweet little Grandma of almost 91 years didn't have much time left.  I knelt down and prayed that the Lord would give me the opportunity to see her one last time.  We flew out the next day and gave my Grandma the "biggest surprise of her life!"  (She wasn't expecting us to come home).
    The next few days were spent in the hospital with my cousins as we listened to Grandma tell us some stories from when she was a child.  I learned that she had to wake up at 5 a.m. in order to milk the cows and do the chores before making the 3 mile hike to school!  When it was cold or raining my Great-Grandpa would hook up the covered wagon to the 2 mules and carry them to school that way.  She shared with us some of her favorite bible verses and it was such an incredible blessing to see her again.
    After 2 weeks, my Grandma went to see the Lord.  Dad woke me up to tell me and after lying there in bed and thinking about her entrance into heaven, I couldn't help but smile.  The day before she slipped into a deep sleep, I had asked her to do me a huge favor when she got to heaven.  I asked her to give my Momma a big hug for me.  We cried and hugged one another and she said of course she would. I thought, "It sure must have been a nice big party she had up there, and I imagined her and my Mom giving each other the biggest hug ever!"
    As Christians, we have the hope and assurance that we will all be with Jesus one day.  Death has no grip on us.  I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to spend this time with my family and we thank all our friends and family for their prayers and support.  You are priceless to us, I could cry just thinking about it.

This was taken at the hospital.  I hadn't seen her in over 15 months.

A painting that my Great-Aunt Lois did of the house they lived in as kids.

This is the house where my Grandma grew up in East Texas.  Only part of it remains.

The water well where my Papa would come to talk with my Grandma.

    Grandma always wanted to be a missionary growing up, and she was to her friends, family, and neighbors.  She was a true witness to me and her legacy will live forever in my heart.  As my cousin Kim said, "Grandma, we love you.  Thank you for taking us to church.  And your spankings never hurt!"