Becoming a Grandma

Part 2

How big of a difference does a grandmother make in a child’s life? Well, I can say for certain that both of my grandmothers were huge impacts in my life. I loved being with both of them. When I was with either of them, it was all about me, and I loved every minute of it. I was the first grandchild on both sides and I could do no wrong in their eyes. The next two paragraphs are tributes to my grandma, Edna Cordelia (Bunch) Thaxton Hasty, and my grandmother, Wilma Edith (Bumbalow) Hill. They both hold a special place in my heart forever. 

My Grandma Edna was an amazing woman and a fine Christian when she passed away in August of 2009. I have no doubt that I will see her again. She was always thinking of others, and she had this way of making everyone she talked to feel special. Watching her interact with others was truly a thing of beauty. She was really amazing! People loved her, because she made them feel loved. She always wanted to make memories with me and boy did she ever do that! Whenever I was with her, it was all about me and what I wanted to do. Every kid needs someone like that in their life when they are growing up….you know? Someone that makes it all about them when they are with that person? Whether it was playing Yahtzee until 2 am or shooting hoops on the driveway, we always had a ball. She moved to Florida with my aunt after my grandpa passed away. I was only three years old when he passed away. She was only 49 when she became a widow….four years younger than I am now. How devastating that must have been for her as well as for my dad and my aunt. She eventually remarried, and started a new life in Florida. But our closeness was not affected by the miles between us. I talked to her on the phone often, and starting at age eight, I got to go stay with her for two weeks every summer! It was the highlight of my whole summer, maybe even my whole year! While I was there, we always did fun things that I wanted to do. She fixed the best meals with all my favorite foods. We played games non-stop. I learned to swim at one of her neighbor’s houses who had a pool. It was always an awesome trip! My trip usually included a trip to a beach or an amusement park or both, with her and my precious aunt. They were both so good to me, and gave me such wonderful memories that I will treasure always. When I was around 18, she moved back home to Tennessee. I was so thankful to have her close. I went to her house for breakfast every Saturday morning before I went to work in my parents’ store. After I got married, we would take Saturday trips to the Chinese restaurant that we both loved so much, and then have coffee at Waffle House before we came home. Our talks were endless and I loved every minute of them. Then, when my kids came along, it was all about them! She kept them for me quite a bit while I worked until they were old enough to start school. My daughter, Rhiannon, remembers her draining peach juice off the peaches for her to drink from a glass, having baked sweet potatoes at her house because they were her favorite, and watching “Price Is Right” and other game shows with her. My son, Jordan, loved to sit in her lap at church when he was a baby and touch her newly done hair that she had done weekly. Everyone in the building could tell that he thought her hair was just beautiful! Grandma was also a die-hard Atlanta Braves fan, and Jordan loved to talk baseball with her. He was a sports fan from the time he could speak. Both of my children got to make wonderful memories with her, and I’m so thankful that they got to know her. I’m so glad that she got to pass the special way that she loved me down to them. Her love helped make all of us who we are today.

My Grandmother Hill was a fine Christian woman who passed away from breast cancer in 2001. She was an example of pure strength to me, and I know that I will see her again as well. When I was young, I loved staying with her. She read stories to me from the books that she read to my mom and her siblings. I actually have that set of books out on display in my home. She taught me the books of the Bible, and she taught me how to crochet. I can’t crochet now, but I loved learning how to do it at the time. I just enjoyed the time she took to teach me how to do something new. It didn’t matter what it was. It was simply time spent together that was special. She would give me all of her Reader’s Digest and National Geographic magazines when she finished with them, because she knew that I loved to read them. I got to spend many a night with her and be the center of attention for both her and my granddad. My cousins and I would always get to go to their house for a week in the summer. We always had a ball, but I know we were a handful! I’m thankful for those times we got to spend together as kids. Grandmother Hill went to Draughn’s Business College when she was young. She worked for H and R Block tax service for a while. She eventually made the decision to leave H and R Block and start her own business. She was told by someone, a manager I suppose, that she couldn’t do that. But my grandmother did not let that stop her. She went to a friend who was a lawyer. Her friend told her that she had every right to start her own business, and a letter was sent to H and R Block from the lawyer stating that fact. She had her business in downtown McMinnville for a couple of years, and built up a good clientele. Then, when my granddad’s health began to fail, she moved her business to her home so she could be close to him as she worked. He passed away in 1993, but she continued to run her tax business for several years until her own health failed. Jeff and I had her do our taxes after we were married. She insisted on doing them for free. We would go out to eat afterwards and pay for her meal. When she became too ill to run her business, she referred all her clients, including us, to another older lady who was running her own tax business. She wanted to help another independent woman like herself to be successful. I was so impressed with how she did all that. My grandmother came from a time where women were not typically encouraged to start their own businesses. She showed me an example of strong will, ingenuity, courage, and confidence. I only wish my own children could have gotten to know her. We all need strong women in our lives as we grow up and I have so many, two of them being both my grandmothers. They both faced great adversity, and showed great strength in the face of it. I am forever grateful to God for them both. I hope that I can be a combination of these two wonderful women, for Brandon and all my future grandchildren…….with my own spin on it, of course!! 

Like I said before, it was all about me when I was with my grandma and my grandmother. I’m sure I’ll be the same way with Brandon and all my other grandbabies that come after him. I realized something that makes me really happy! With my grandbabies, I won’t have to “be the bad guy” the way that I had to be sometimes with my own children. That means, the bulk of the discipline will be up to my daughter and son-in-law, just like the bulk of the discipline of my own children was for Jeff and I. That is the way it should be, and that will be a nice change for me. I never liked being “the bad guy”. No parent does, but because we love our kids, we have to say “no” to things that we know are not in their best interest. We also have to give out consequences to our kids for their not-so-good behavior at times. I’m sure that I’ll have to say “no” to my grandson at some point, and possibly get after him a little … maybe…depending on what is going on, but not in the same way that his parents will. However, I can promise this one thing…I will be a godly example and influence in Brandon’s life, because that is my main goal as a grandma. It has been my main goal as a momma. As a Christian, being a godly example should be my main focus in every aspect of my life. If I’m being honest, and those of you who read my blog regularly, know that I am brutally honest about myself on here, I’ll most certainly be a much more godly example and influence on my grandchildren than I have been on my children. We never stop growing in our faith…or we shouldn’t anyway, and I have grown a lot in my faith just in the last few years as my kids have gotten older. My kids were here for the good, the bad and the ugly parts of me at times, and for that I’m truly sorry. I pray that my kids learn from my mistakes. Every generation should learn from the previous one’s mistakes, and do better. I’m hoping that every generation in our family becomes stronger in their faith in God than the one before it. After all, the future of the Lord’s church is in their hands when we are gone. If God’s will allows it, I hope to see my grandson Brandon, and my future grandchildren grow up to be faithful Christians, and have families of their own someday. Maybe I’ll even get to meet some great-grandchildren if it is in God’s will. 

As far as Brandon goes, I can help him learn to be kind, compassionate, respectful, and well-behaved when he is with me, just like I know his parents will want him to be. And that in itself, will help in the raising of him to be a fine, Christian man someday. I’ll do my part when I have him. It takes a village to raise a child. Every person in a child’s life has a part in influencing him/her whether the influence is good or bad. I want to help my daughter and son-in-law in whatever way that I can whenever they need me, without overstepping my boundaries, of course. The one thing that I am so thankful for is that Brandon has two parents who are faithful Christians, and who have his eternal destination as their top priority. They see the big picture of his life, and for that I am truly grateful. I’ve learned that as parents and grandparents, we have to look at our babies through Jesus’ eyes. Jesus sees an even bigger picture in our children than we do. What is He looking for in them as they grow into adulthood? I think about what Jesus said in Mark 10:14-16, Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. ”And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. We can learn a lot from what Jesus says about children in these verses. We are to become like children in our relationship with God, and fully rely on Him in much the same way that Brandon fully relies on his parents as a newborn. Becoming child-like is harder than we realize. As we grow older, we often try to rely on our own strength. Let’s never forget that God is behind everything that we are able to accomplish, and He is the reason that we are who we are. God has entrusted us with the special gift of children and grandchildren. I am reminded of Deuteronomy 6:4-9, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” God has not changed his mind on how we should raise our children. He expects the same thing from us today as he did back in Deuteronomy. I absolutely believe that God has given us our children and grandchildren to bring us joy. There is no doubt in my mind about that. But….He has also given them to us to bear fruit for Him, to raise them to honor Him with their lives, and to teach them the truth of the gospel, so that they can have the best and healthiest lifestyle while they are here, and make it to heaven someday. This is our greatest mission in life……helping our families make it to heaven.

Can you think of a grandmother who is mentioned by name in the Bible who had a powerful influence on her grandson? As I think about a godly grandmother, I think of Timothy’s grandmother Lois. When Paul wrote his second epistle to Timothy, he called Timothy his “beloved son”. Paul was not married and had no children so this meant that Timothy was like a son to him. In 1 Timothy 1:2, Paul refers to Timothy as “a true son in the faith”. Paul was a mentor and a father figure to Timothy in the faith. In Acts 16:1, we find out that Timothy was the son of a Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. Timothy was not circumcised according to Jewish law, probably because his father, being a Greek, would not allow it. Paul wanted Timothy to go with him on his missionary journeys. He was circumcised before he began his journeys with Paul, “because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.” (Acts 16:3) Paul was afraid that the Jews would not take Timothy seriously if he was not circumcised according to Jewish law, especially with his father being Greek. It also says that Timothy was “well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.” (Acts 16:2) This says so much about the kind of young man that Timothy was, because people could be prejudiced against mixed race marriages, especially between Jews and Greeks. The fact that he was well spoken of was a big deal. And obviously his father was not a believer in Christ, because verse one says that his mother was a Jew and a believer and his father was a Greek, with no mention of him being a believer. Just listen to Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:3-5, “I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.” What a tribute by the apostle Paul to, not only a mother, but a grandmother! These two women together, raised this young man, Timothy, to be a fine Christian and missionary without the help of a godly father figure. God wanted Lois to be immortalized as a grandmother who made an impact on her grandson’s life. And in turn, her grandson had an amazing impact on the history of the Lord’s church. Isn’t it amazing? Through this one verse, 2 Timothy 1:5, God showed all women, past and present, that they can be the main spiritual influence in the family if they need to be. Ladies, sometimes we have to be the spiritual leader of our homes if our husbands are not Christians or aren’t strong Christians yet. Sometimes our husbands, even if they are Christians, need our quiet godly example. They need the encouragement from us to be the spiritual leader that they need to be for the family. Sisters, sometimes we have to step up the way that Lois and Eunice stepped up. We are not told whether Timothy’s father ever became a Christian or not. But it was obvious that Timothy was a grown man when Paul, through inspiration of God, wrote about his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice. God wanted these women to be honored for how they raised this amazing young man named Timothy. 

Thank you so much for allowing me to bask in the honor of becoming a grandma. I have spoken often in different posts about what wonderful parents that I have been so blessed with. Becoming a grandma made me want to reminisce and focus on memories of my wonderful grandmothers. It was an honor and a privilege to be able to immortalize both of them in this post. I’m so excited about the future. I’m excited about watching little Brandon grow up! Lord willing, I’ll get to see him do all the things that he grows up to enjoy doing whether it is sports or something else that he is interested in. Whatever it is, his Grandma Greta will be there cheering him on at every opportunity. But the most exciting thing for me will be seeing him grow spiritually into a fine, Christian young man. That will be the highlight for me! And that goes for all my future grandchildren as well. Love you all so much!! Have a wonderful Christmas holiday! 

Are you in Christ? Are you a branch connected to the true vine, which is Jesus Christ? (John 15:1-8) Below I have added God’s plan of salvation with scripture references. If you need help understanding how to be saved, please reach out. I can help you or put you in contact with someone who can help you.

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His word, for mankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)