Precious Memories - Scrabble with Grandma

Photo Courtesy of Stigeredoo

I remember as a child driving from Florida to Baltimore every summer to visit my grandparents and other family on my mom’s side.  It was a long and arduous trip, roughly 15 hours in the car, and in the same backseat as my younger sister.  And this was before the days of portable dvd players (ok actually before dvd’s), and there is only so much reading you can do to pass the time. 

There were several highlights of each vacation to Maryland – bubble gum-flavored snow cones, a trip to Hershey Park or Kings Dominion, and the exploration of Washington, D.C.  One of the more vivid memories, though, was playing Scrabble with Grandma Leah.  We’ve played this game with her for as long as I can remember.  Grandma is a crossword queen, and her vocabulary is immense.  Early on, it was no contest – she would win without even having to try.  My sister was better than I, so to keep from coming in last place, I would try to invent words.  Sometimes it worked, but most times I would get called out and would lose my turn.

As time went on, my sister, mom and even I began to win a game every now and then.  Add in my wife, who was an English major, and grandma now had some competition.  That didn’t matter though, because grandma could still win at will.

Unfortunately my godly grandma’s health has taken a turn for the worse.  After almost a century of living, this Kentucky-born mountain woman has just a short time left here on earth. And as much as she will be missed, this is a wonderful thing – it’s time for her to upgrade to a brand new heavenly body.  She’s ready to leave this planet permanently and spend eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 As 2 Corinthians 5:8 says, “Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.”

Grandma’s remaining time on Earth is precious to us, and her passing will of course be bittersweet.  But how glorious it is to know that, because of Jesus, we will only be separated for a short while until we see her again.