{"id":3298,"date":"2017-09-21T19:55:46","date_gmt":"2017-09-21T19:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/?p=3298"},"modified":"2017-09-21T20:04:12","modified_gmt":"2017-09-21T20:04:12","slug":"discovering-grandma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2017\/09\/21\/discovering-grandma\/","title":{"rendered":"Discovering Grandma"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was just past eighteen with a car of my own when I decided to take a road trip to visit my grandparents. Just something to do on a summer afternoon. As I expected, they were delighted to see me and seemed especially happy that I had chosen to come to visit them on my own. We usually visited Grandpa and Grandma when aunts, uncles, and their families were there \u2013 Thanksgiving, Christmas, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and other special days. During those times, I was busy with cousins and never took time to really notice Grandma. She stayed in the kitchen, always busily preparing food for the hungry gang that gathered around their table.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

However, on this particular summer day, for the first time I could recall, Grandma and I sat in the living room alone.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We chatted about this and that and then without prompting, Grandma told me a story about how she met Grandpa.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I listened, watching her smile as she told about riding in a wagon to go to church and how excited she was to see the tall, lanky boy who I now called Grandpa.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>For the very first time, I saw Grandma as a real person, as a teenaged girl with feelings just like mine.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

That afternoon changed my life and my relationship with a young man I was seeing.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I opened my heart to Grandma and she listened with no judgement and no direct instructions. There was love, understanding, and a new way of seeing my life and my relationship.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>To be honest, I cannot tell you why I decided the young man was not right for me, but whatever the reason, Grandma\u2019s love helped me make a very wise choice.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

That afternoon was more than fifty-five years ago.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Now I\u2019m a grandmother with 13 wonderful grandchildren and a great-grandchild on the way. They all call me Nana and when all the family gets together, the cousins spend most of their time playing, talking, and just like Grandma, I stay busy putting food on the table.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>But I try to carve out some time for a trip to Starbucks with one of the thirteen (the older ones, of course).<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We talk about life, jobs, college, relationships and I throw in one of my stories from \u201cway back when.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I want them to know I remember how it feels to want adventure away from home, how it feels to wonder if this guy is Mr. Right.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I listen and laugh and cry and smile, hoping they feel my love.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I ask questions and watch as they turn the ideas over in their minds.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I withhold judgement and let them know that Nana\u2019s heart is a safe place for their secrets, their worries, and their dreams.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They also know everything will be covered with fervent prayer.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>And when they walk away to return home, I hope they will see life with a fresh perspective … and realize that Nana is a real person.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

About the Author<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Peggy Eby has been a pastor, missionary, leader of women, and counselor for more than 40 years. \u00a0She has spoken in many nations and all across the United States, encouraging men and women to find their identity, \u00a0purpose and calling in Christ Jesus. \u00a0Peggy believes life is to be lived to the full, in the energy and power of the Holy Spirit.
\nPeggy and her husband, Jim, founded Mission Catalyst International, a missions organization dedicated to training nationals in the Developing World to reach the least-reached people groups with the Gospel.
\nPeggy and Jim have been married 48 years and have 3 adult children and 12 grandchildren. \u00a0She recently retired from serving as LifeCare Coordinator for The Ark Church in Conroe, Texas, a ministry of biblical guidance, counseling, and Christ-centered recovery. \u00a0Presently, Peggy and Jim live in London, England, where Peggy assists Pastor Harold Presley at Fountain of Life Church, and \u00a0Jim continues to travel with the ministry of Mission Catalyst International.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":3299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,140,37],"tags":[335,709,610],"class_list":{"0":"post-3298","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general","8":"category-senior-adults","9":"category-womens-ministries","10":"tag-grandparents","11":"tag-senior-adults","12":"tag-spiritual-parenting","13":"entry"},"title_es":"Descubriendo a la abuela","content_es":"Yo ten\u00eda apenas dieciocho a\u00f1os con un coche de mi propia cuando decid\u00ed tomar un viaje por carretera para visitar a mis abuelos. S\u00f3lo algo que hacer en una tarde de verano. Como esperaba, estaban encantados de verme y parec\u00edan especialmente felices de haber elegido venir a visitarlos por mi cuenta. Por lo general visitamos abuelo y abuela cuando t\u00edas, t\u00edos y sus familias estaban all\u00ed - Acci\u00f3n de Gracias, Navidad, Cuatro de Julio, D\u00eda del Trabajo y otros d\u00edas especiales. Durante esos tiempos, yo estaba ocupado con primos y nunca tom\u00f3 tiempo para realmente notar la abuela. Se qued\u00f3 en la cocina, preparando siempre comida para la pandilla hambrienta que se reun\u00eda alrededor de su mesa.<\/span> Sin embargo, en este d\u00eda de verano en particular, por primera vez que pod\u00eda recordar, la abuela y yo nos sentamos en la sala de estar solo.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Conversamos sobre esto y aquello y luego sin preguntar, la abuela me cont\u00f3 una historia acerca de c\u00f3mo se reuni\u00f3 con el abuelo.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Yo la escuchaba, observ\u00e1ndola sonre\u00edr mientras le contaba c\u00f3mo cabalgar en un carro para ir a la iglesia y lo emocionada que estaba de ver al muchacho alto y delgado que ahora llamaba abuelo.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Por primera vez, vi a la abuela como una persona real, como una adolescente con sentimientos como el m\u00edo.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Esa tarde cambi\u00f3 mi vida y mi relaci\u00f3n con un joven que estaba viendo.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Abr\u00ed mi coraz\u00f3n a mi abuela y ella escuch\u00f3 sin juicio ni instrucciones directas. Hab\u00eda amor, comprensi\u00f3n y una nueva manera de ver mi vida y mi relaci\u00f3n.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Para ser honesto, no puedo decirte por qu\u00e9 decid\u00ed que el joven no era el adecuado para m\u00ed, pero sea cual sea la raz\u00f3n, el amor de la abuela me ayud\u00f3 a tomar una decisi\u00f3n muy sabia.<\/span> Esa tarde fue hace m\u00e1s de cincuenta y cinco a\u00f1os.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Ahora soy una abuela con 13 nietos maravillosos y un bisnieto en el camino. Todos me llaman Nana y cuando toda la familia se re\u00fane, los primos pasan la mayor parte del tiempo jugando, hablando, y al igual que la abuela, me quedo ocupado poniendo comida sobre la mesa.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Pero intento sacar tiempo para un viaje a Starbucks con uno de los trece (los m\u00e1s viejos, por supuesto).<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Hablamos sobre la vida, los trabajos, la universidad, las relaciones y me tiro en una de mis historias de \"la manera cuando.\"<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Quiero que sepan que recuerdo c\u00f3mo se siente querer aventura lejos de casa, c\u00f3mo se siente al preguntarse si este tipo es el Sr. Derecho.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Escucho y rezo y grito y sonr\u00edo, esperando que sientan mi amor.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Hago preguntas y observo mientras cambian las ideas en sus mentes.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Retengo el juicio y les hago saber que el coraz\u00f3n de Nana es un lugar seguro para sus secretos, sus preocupaciones y sus sue\u00f1os.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Tambi\u00e9n saben que todo ser\u00e1 cubierto con ferviente oraci\u00f3n.<\/span> \u00a0 <\/span> Y cuando se alejan para volver a casa, espero que vean la vida con una nueva perspectiva ... y se den cuenta de que Nana es una persona real.<\/span> Autor<\/strong><\/span> Peggy Eby","author_name":"","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/Discovering-Grandma.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4T9u2-Rc","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3298"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3298\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}