A Grandmother's Gift.

Tonight I lost my Grandmother.

Sadie Ardella Hall Hagee. 97. Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Friend, church member, inspiration.

She was all of those things and more. Even though she has spent the last several years of her life in a nursing home, I cannot recall one time going to visit her that she didn't have a smile on her face. Even when those around her were not happy or looked miserable, she never did. She didn't complain, but gladly accepted whatever was given to her with that same smile.

After my mom called and told me and I ran into my husbands arms, so many memories flooded my mind. How crazy that the first one was when she made a bed for Eric in the bathtub. Greg asked why Eric wanted to sleep in the bathtub, and all I could say was that he was always crazy like that, but he did, and the next thing you know there were quilts lining the bathtub and had a bed all to himself. Only at Grandma Hagee's.

When we would stay with her there was always work to be done around the house, so homesickness never really settled in with me and my brother until bedtime. She would just quietly lay on the bed with us and tell us stories of her childhood. Memories she had of things she did with her sister and memories of her mother. Those were the stories that soothed us to sleep.

From her I learned how to snap green beans, shuck corn, and Crisco a nose on someones birthday! I dreamed dreams of a young girl on the hill where their house was in Pulaski in a hand made swing in a dogwood tree put up by my grandfather. We watched the Facts of Life together laughing at Blair and Tootie, and played Chinese checkers when that was over.

After having grown up in the home of a minister, and being surrounded by Pastors, Preachers and their families all the time, it was my Grandmother Sadie who taught me how to be just a regular old Church member. A servant. Faithful and dedicated.

She took me with her to her quilting at the church on Tuesdays and I watched as she sat around with her friends making quilts and telling stories and prayed. When we stayed with her, she always took us with her to pick up her friend and her daughter to take to church because they didn't have a ride any other way. She did the things she did not because they were a part of her job description, but because she was a servant of the Lord. She taught me about visiting by taking me with her to see the shut-in down the street, and she showed me how to be a good neighbor by making sure her next door neighbor was OK, often by sending me over there to check on her. She reached out to others in the way that only a child of Christ can, and I was blessed to witness it. I helped her cook to take food to church meals and I always was able to find Reece Cups in her pantry ~ they were her favorite.

She was so proud of my father. I wonder if she knew when he was born, and she gave him the name David, if she was given revelation that he would be a servant of the Lord like his namesake. I do know that she was blessed. And her blessing ran down to all of us.

So tonight, there is no more frailty in her body. No more weakness in her bones. She is healed and whole loving on Jesus. I couldn't ask for anything more for her. She didn't suffer. She didn't take months and months to go down hill, but went in a moment. I wasn't there, but I'm sure that smile was still there on her face and not a complaint on her lips. I can only pray to go the same way when it's my time.

The next days will not be easy. But I am left with the comfort of knowing that when I last saw her a few weeks ago I was able to kneel down and put some slipper/socks on her feet. I was able to take what she taught me and turn around and give it back to her. Servant hood. What a wonderful gift. What a blessing. What a heritage.

And I leave with the realization that God must love me so much to put such a woman in my lineage. So to him I say a quiet prayer of gratitude.

Heaven's choir is a little louder tonight with her voiced raised in worship.

Sing, Grandma, Sing!

Joy