Sweet Grandma Carrie

I became a grandmother for the very first time in April 2014. I have always heard that there was no way to describe the incredible joy of being a grandparent. That statement is absolutely true. Our precious grandchildren light up the room with their smiles.

My mind went back to my own grandmother. Her name was Carrie.  I still picture my Grandma Carrie. She always wore a dress and stockings. She had black shoes that laced up. She had a round, plump face. Her eyes sparkled behind her wire-rimmed glasses. There’s a certain very special memory that I have of Grandma Carrie. It happened when I was just a little girl of maybe 7 or 8 years of age. My mother told me to go out to the chicken house and gather the eggs. I was raised on a farm and I was used to being around all kinds of animals. I had no fear of walking around the cattle yard in my bare feet. I also went into the pasture with the sheep and horses. But, there was one thing that I greatly feared. It was being around chickens in an enclosed area. We had Banty chickens on our farm.  Banty (Bantam) is a term used to describe a small variety of chickens. Banty’s are generally one fourth the size of regular chickens. But although they are small they are very brave and aggressive when they have their chicks. I recall more than one occasion when our black lab got too close to a mama Banty and her chicks. That little hen got on top of the dog’s head and pecked the daylights out of that poor dog. More than once as a child I accidentally got too close to mama Banty and she came at me, wings flapping and making the most horrible sound! Sound silly? Yes, but as a child, I was petrified to go into that henhouse. That particular day when Grandma Carrie was there was no exception. My heart raced and my eyes welled up with tears as I approached the chicken house. When I got to the door I just could not bring myself to go in. I went back into the farmhouse and my mother asked me where the eggs were. Before I could answer Grandma Carrie stepped in-between my mother and I. Grandma said, “Don’t make her go in there. Can’t you see she is frightened? I will go and get the eggs.” Grandma Carrie took the basket from me and smiled that sweet smile of hers. She went fearlessly into that chicken house and came back out within just a few short minutes. I noticed that she was in one of her good dresses, but, that did not stop Grandma. Thanks to Grandma Carrie bringing my fear to my mother’s attention I never had to go into the chicken house again.

“I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” (Psalms 34:4)

My earthly grandmother was willing to stand between me and the thing that I feared because she loved me. How much more will our heavenly Father do for us? Fear is a tool the enemy has tried on all of us.  Fear wears many masks. Sometimes fear is insecurity, sometimes, fear is a place, or a person, or a thing. Sometimes fear uses depression. Other times fear wears the mask of an aggressor or bully, (remember the cowardly lion?) We all have felt fear, but, it is what we do next that determines if we have the victory or not. You cannot activate fear and faith at the same time. The words that you speak will either agree with the voice of fear, or they will agree with the word of God. David made a declaration and then ran at Goliath. (1Samuel 17:45-48)

Our God is a loving, heavenly Father. His love for us is one we will never fully comprehend until we are with Him in heaven. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He loves our children even more than we love them. How amazing and wonderful is a love like that? He wants more for us than we could ever dare to dream or imagine. He is our only source for the strength to face another day. Jesus took our place so that in Him we would have victory. He stepped in-between us and that fear that would try to keep us from God’s purpose for our lives. Turn to Him, trust Him. Nothing is too big or too small. Speak His word, not your feelings.

“Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23)