Grace

By definition, grace means: unearned, undeserved favor and kindness. Next to that definition, I would also add my grandmother, Grace Brown.

This morning, my Grammy at the age of 97, went to be with He who she treasures most, her Lord and Savior. I don't use the phrase "she went to heaven" lightly, because I believe, more than anything, it is a real, true, eternal place and that she is rejoicing because she is finally satisfied for she has seen our Lord face to face. And oh, how I would have loved to be next to her when He said "well done, my good and faithful servant."

You see my grandmother truly was extraordinary. Our family, who I cherish so deeply, all of which have lived different lives, treasured different things, and held remarkably polar convictions would all agree that Grammy Brown, has had (and will continue) to have a remarkable impact on our lives. From the naming of my generation of cousins to our children who follow us, she is cherished and revered. Each of her children, grandchildren and the great grandchildren who know her, hold her in highest esteem. I can't tell you how much each one of us loves our Grammy.

Although we might not all agree, I wholeheartedly believe that what makes her prized in our hearts was her faithful love for each one of us, our grandfather and mainly, for her Savior. While I loved her sassy wit, Scrabble-mastering skills, and the fact that she always put ketchup in a dish on the table, what I cherish the most are the prayers she said, the notes she wrote and her faithfulness in encouraging me and pointing me to the Lord. I have buried in my Bible little typed notes I received from her that mentioned the scripture she was reading or what the Lord had pressed on her heart. At one point, while I was living in DC and had run completely out of funds, a note appeared in my mailbox with a check for the exact, obscure amount I needed to stay and a message quoting James:

Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? ...If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

I don't believe that it was random but instead, the response of a faithful woman who listened and sat daily at the Lord's feet. For in another note she said "first things first and you like Mary (Luke 10:42) have chosen the better part." What Mary chose, was to sit at her Savior's feet and listen. I had made my requests known to the Lord, and He taught me so much by using Grammy, who was not wealthy indeed, to supply all my needs.

A few weeks ago, Grammy, who has been in a state of dementia for a very long time, suddenly "awoke." She knew family members, even those who were born after her mind began to fragment and for a few weeks, my dear family near to her got to hear her laughter, her sassy comments about the nursing home meatloaf and the sweet nurse who cared for her got to hear Grammy pray. You see she awoke, still steadfast for her Savior. And her nurse confessed, "Grace is teaching me how to pray." I don't know why our family was given the extra days so near the end of her life, but perhaps, she had just a few more prayers left to pray and a few more lives left to touch.

My prayers are two fold in following my Grammy's footsteps: that the Lord would keep me and I would keep Him as my treasure until the sun sets on my life.

I got to spend a week alone with Grammy one year in college and she recounted over and over stories from her life, her love for my grandfather and her love for the Lord. What she spoke of was a God who was gracious, His son who laid down his life for her, and the grace that was given to her even though it was unearned and undeserved. She recognized that her faith was gift and her prayer was that our entire family would know and understand grace. I praise the Lord that we have to encounter it every time we say her name.

Just as Grammy physically awoke weeks ago so near the end of her life, it is never too late in life for His grace to awaken your soul.

And just as He led Grace Brown home today, may His grace lead you home.



For my contentment is not in wealth (or in anything else) but in seeing you and knowing that all is well between us. For when I awake in heaven I will be fully satisfied for I will see you face to face.

~Psalm 17:15 (Amplified Version)