Grandmothers On Mothers' Day

(My grandmother (I called her Nanny) died last week.  I almost had to speak at the funeral.  Thankfully, I didn't have to, because I would have turned into a blubbering idiot.)

God gave us a lot of different relationships,  husband-wife, father-son, mother-daughter, brother-brother, grandparent-grandchild.  He also gave us a lot of different types of love associated with these relationships.  And all of these relationships teach us about God and His love for us, but there is no more special love than the love between a grandchild and a grandparent.

Parental love is an everyday struggle.  Parents must correct children.  Parents must guide children when children don't want to be guided.  And human parents have to spend so much time with their children that mistakes will be made by both parents and children.  Like a child of God's relationship with the Heavenly Father, there are going to be good times and bad times.  There are going to be times when a child looks at his parent and asks "Why?"  God cannot make mistakes, but He does do things that our human brains won't be able to understand (Isaiah 55:8-9).  There are many great Truths to be learned from the parental relationship and the love it requires.  Other relationships all produce satisfying types of love that can help us better understand God and Jesus Christ.

But a grandparent-grandchild relationship is a different type of love.  It is more of a spoiling love.  There is more adoration and less questioning.  I am sure most grandparents feel like they don't get to see their grandchildren enough.  I am sure by the time grandchildren get to be my age they wish they got to see and know their grandparents more.  I have learned a lot about Nanny in the last few days.  I wish I could have known more.  But the love between a grandparent and a grandchild encompasses just enough time for a great bond to develop.  A special bond that reminds me of Christ telling us that we must "become like little children" and "humble (ourselves) like (a) child" (Matthew 18:3-4).  Being young like a grandchild and being older like a grandparent allows more innocence to enter the relationship.  This innocence demonstrated by grandparents spoiling grandchildren is analogous to the way God spoils us with His love through giving his Son  (John 3:16).  Also the way a grandchild simply embraces a loving grandparent is a great example of how we should simply embrace Christ.   The bitter world that adulthood brings and the pressures that young families face can distract us from loving God with all our hearts, minds and souls (Luke 10:27).  Grandparents and the memories associated with grandparents can help us see the type of love we need to show God and what type of love God shows us.

This grandparent love reminds of the famous wedding verses in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.  I also think these verses are the best descriptor of Nanny:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Heavenly Father,
Help me to mourn.
Help me to see your Truths.
Help me to embrace the many types of love you have given us.
Most importantly, Lord, help to to love You with all my mind, heart, and soul.
It is Christ's blessed name, I pray.
Amen.