For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.     Romans 8:18 NKJV

If you discuss cooking with my husband or my stepson, within a few minutes they are sure to say, “Just like grandmother used to make.” I have pointed out to my husband on more than one occasion that I am not his grandmother when he has compared something I have cooked or done to be so different from how my grandmother used to do it.

I called both my grandmothers grandma. My maternal grandmother was Grandma Vena, and my paternal grandmother was Grandma Nancy. These two women were very different from each other, but both were awesome grandmas.

Grandma Vena taught me the value of a good education and hard work. She used to tell me that what goes over the devil’s back will come back under his belly. I realized that this was her version of Galatians 6:7 which tells us not to be deceived, God is not mocked, whatever we reap we will sow.

Grandma Nancy had a near-death experience and died at the age of 14. She had been rushed to the doctor for an emergency appendectomy and had been pronounced dead on the operating table.

Her recollection is of a bright light and being able to look down on her body and the doctor and his assistant. She could hear them saying, “We lost her.” Then she remembers being brought up in a place that was indescribably peaceful. It was equally beautiful. She remembers a loud voice saying, “She’s not ready it’s not time for her yet.”

Her next memory is awakening from her surgery. I’m not here to debate whether she dreamed this or whether it happened. I’m just here to tell you how it caused this 14-year-old girl to live her life. My grandmother relayed this to me when I was probably 11 or 12 years old. She told me not to cry for her should she die because she was not afraid of dying but looked forward to returning to this place or going to heaven.

I used to love to spend time in her yard because it was filled with big, beautiful flowers. I recall her telling me that this place has the biggest flowers she had ever seen, and their colors were so beautiful and vibrant. They were nothing like what we have down here.

Later as I grew older, I came to realize the beautiful flowers she grew in her yard were probably there to be a constant reminder of where she was going. It was as if she was trying to recreate what she had seen as a young girl.

My grandmother had health problems. She had been diagnosed with Lupus by the time I came along, but I never heard her complain. It limited some things she could do, but she was still a hard worker. She cooked a wonderful meal three times a day. I still gain weight just thinking about her cornbread and yeast rolls and her cakes, oh the cakes!

But the most memorable thing about Grandma Nancy was her love and devotion to Jesus Christ. Spending the night with Grandma Nancy meant not getting into bed until we had kneeled beside the bed to pray. It meant reading our Bible before bed and in the morning. It meant going to church morning and night if you stayed on Sunday and evening services on Wednesday night.

Whatever happened to Grandma Nancy at age 14 caused her to strive to be the best Christian she could be. She didn’t complain about the sufferings she dealt with here on earth. I was much older before I even realized how much she had suffered.

She knew these sufferings were temporary and were nothing compared to what awaited her in heaven. She did all she could to stress the importance of godly living to those of us who knew her. She wanted all of us to join her there someday.

My prayer is for God to strengthen me to be just like my grandma. I want to remember that whatever sufferings I may have to endure here on earth are nothing compared to what waits for me in my heavenly home. I pray you will understand this as well.

Have a great day!