When I think of someone in my life who has displayed the love of Christ, I am blessed to be able to say there are many that come to mind. But none so clearly as my grandmother; we called her Granny. Growing up I remember my Granny coming to stay with us occasionally for a week at a time and would be available to help my stay-at-home mother of six with certain household projects and other day-to-day responsibilities. In addition to helping, she would always make sure to spend quality time with us kids, playing card games and board games or watching us play outside.
One thing my Granny did that was so special was she would carry around a little pocket-sized notebook with different tidbits of information written inside that she found interesting or important enough to write down. Some of her notes were random and fun, like what are the names of the seven dwarfs, listing the Greek alphabet in order, or (my personal favorite) what are the eight vegetables in V8 Juice. But most of her notes were excerpts from scripture that she wanted to always remember and carry with her. For fun, she would playfully quiz us on these topics asking if any of us could list all the fruits of the spirit, or could we recite the Beatitudes and Ten Commandments.
As a child, I remember not always being too impressed with these little games and would usually leave it to one of my older siblings to play along while I slipped away and tended to something that I deemed more fun. However, as an adult, I find myself looking back with a grateful heart on these moments with my Granny. Her desire for knowing these scriptures and taking the time to share them with us in a very loving and playful way really did help plant the seeds for my faith.
She was also one of the best examples in my life, displaying Christ’s love through her joyful spirit, which was always so kind and gracious to those around her. As we enter the Lenten season and reflect on God’s love, I give thanks to God for the people He has placed in my life who have gently guided me toward Him and shown His love in special little ways – like a pocket-sized notebook full of little nuggets of knowledge.
In case you were wondering, here are the eight vegetables in V8 Juice: beets, carrots, celery, lettuce, parsley, spinach, tomatoes, and watercress.
Jessie Parker, Director of Childcare Administration
