life lessons

Recently I was up visiting my grandmother who is rapidly going down hill.  I took two of my dogs, which really made her day.  All she could talk about was how great the dogs were and how much she loved them.  But during all of that my dad started telling stories from when he was little and they lived on a farm.  What was interesting is although my grandmother is 92, bed ridden, and enduring Alzheimers, she would clue in from time to time with correct information.  And during this sweet time is where I got the life lesson from the past.  My dad was talking of a time where they were picking something or whatever, but my dad was young and because of that he was complaining about how it was hurting his hands.  And this is what my grandmother told him.  Turn around and pick backwards, that way you won't focus on how far you have to go and you will be able to see how far you have come.  This information, although simple will be something I will always remember.

It was so awesome to sit and watch the love that my dad had for his mom, and to see what an impact she had on his life, and in turn what an impact she had on mine.  And even though she doesn't even really know who I am anymore I know that somewhere in that soft, wrinkled, failing body of hers, she still knows and loves us.  And that she spent many years praying and leading her family.  And what's even more amazing is that she still has some idea of who God is and what Jesus has done for her.  If the fact that a woman who has no idea what's going on but still the truth of her savior cuts through all of her confusion doesn't prove He exists and loves the world, I don't know what does.