Thank You, Gammy

Nearly three weeks ago my grandmother, affectionately known as 'Gammy', died. She was 90 years old. She lived a good, long life, but sadly leaves behind her husband of 67 years, two of their own children, two (wonderful) grandchildren, two grand-daughters-in-law, and three great grandchildren.

Fortunately, I was able fly back to the United States to be with my family. In spite of the difficult circumstances, we did have a wonderful time recounting our memories with Gammy. Upon hearing the stories it was clear that she had a special impact in each of our lives.

My fondest memories of my grandma all have to do with her patiently spending time with me, teaching me something--to draw, to play cards, to play dominoes, to sew, to make cookies, to make crafts, to recognize birds, to name flowers, to sing a new song. She modeled for me the importance of just sitting and spending time with people, an art that is often lost today.

One of the most important things my grandma ever did for me was to buy me a Bible--with my name engraved on the front cover! I got it for Christmas 1990. To be honest, I'm not really sure why she bought me the Bible; I had never shown the slightest interest in Christianity. One week after I received the Bible, on New Year's Day 1991, I picked up the Bible off the shelf and randomly opened it to Romans 12.2:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

I can't explain how or why, but in reading that passage my life changed forever. From that time on I knew that if I were to understand life and my place in it I had to understand who God was; and I knew that in order to understand who God was, I had to understand the Bible.

In a sense, I have been on that quest ever since--seeking to know God and His world as revealed through the Bible. As I flew on the red-eye back from my grandma's commemoration to St Andrews, I smiled when it dawned on me that it was my grandma that had a part in my being in Scotland! After all, I am here to learn more about God and His world as revealed in the Bible!

Thank you, Gammy. My life has never been the same!