Have you lost someone and would give everything to hear his or her voice again? Why is it we take that precious voice for granted while they are here on Earth? Do you wish you could call Heaven?
The person I would love to call is my grandmother. I write about her often because she was such a big part of my life. You can read more about her here. Today would have been her birthday.
She was my best friend.
We spent many hours on the phone after I married because we did not live close. She would call me on days when I was so busy with the kids or the house or something.
I would try to slow down and listen to her as she talked about what she was cooking for supper, the flowers she planted or the big ol’ tomater she picked out of her garden. There were days when she cooked my favorite food like fried green “tomaters” or okra or a “big ol’ pot” of black-eyed peas and call to tell me she was thinking of me.
Some days, she would call just because she was lonesome. That is the hardest one on my heart, thinking about her being lonesome.
Do you wish you could call Heaven?
Regrets…
One of my biggest regrets in life is not slowing down often enough to just absorb her, to drink her in, or “treasure it her all up in my heart” like Mary did Jesus in Luke 2:19. My days were a whirlwind of activity and energy when my kids were young. She understood.
My sweet grandmother had four children and worked full time as what she called, “a beauty operator”. She always made excuses for me. “I know you are busy, Honey. You don’t even worry about it. We can talk later.”
But my question is, what was I so busy doing that could possibly be more important that that precious lady? How could she come second to anything?
Compassion…
What a compassionate God we have to give us a person all our own who loves us beyond reason, a person whose whole world is wrapped up in ours, a person who will stop everything they are doing to help solve whatever problem we are having at that moment.
They are the person who never puts us second, even to their own needs. That person is always there for us no matter what.
You know who that person is because they always put you first. It doesn’t even make sense that someone would know every bad thing about you and still love you madly. What kind of person does that?
Jesus, Jesus does that.
My person…
She was my person before my husband became my person. Why do we take that person for granted? How can we not fully appreciate unconditional love? Why are we so self-centered? Why do we have to lose that love to appreciate them fully?
My person showed her love for me by showing me Jesus. My grandmother knew she wouldn’t be here forever and I would need Jesus when she was gone. He is with me always.
She also knew she would be with Him in Heaven forever and wanted me to go with her someday.
We can call Heaven anytime because of our relationship with Jesus.
Psalm 91:15 New Living Translation (NLT)
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
Longing…
That longing for our person is God given and is as old as humanity. God placed that longing for unconditional love in us so that we would long for Jesus the true source of unconditional love. I call it our “God spot”.
It is a God shaped hole in each of us that only He can fill. Yes, He put those people in our lives to love us and show us the love of Christ. My Granny was my “Jesus with skin on” and led me to know Christ.
Jesus came so we would know God. He is our “God with skin on”. He came to point us to a relationship with the Father. People will not be with us forever. Material things, people, or money can never satisfy that longing. We all need Jesus to understand unconditional love.
Calling Heaven…
So, on my Granny’s birthday please accept the gift she gave me so freely, the love of Jesus. He wants to be your person.
That is the best gift I could give her today. Sharing her Jesus with you.
Give Him a call. It’s toll free!
Romans 10:9-10 New International Version (NIV)
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Happy National Holiday! (That is what we called her birthday)
In memory of LeNora “Granny” Walker.
All my love,
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