Grandma & Grandpa 

My grandparents were “THE COUPLE” I wanted to become like with whoever I married in the future. I LOVED hearing their love story from both perspectives. Here is a brief overview:

• They met in 7th grade and dated all the way through high school. He even gave her a temporary engagement ring at 16 to signify his promise to one day marry her.
• He joined the Marine Corps and not long after asked my grandmother to marry him, to which she said he would have to ask her father for his blessing.
• My grandmother turned 18 years old on February 13, 1957 and they were married on February 17, 1957. Yes, they waited 4 WHOLE days after she was of legal age to marry and become husband and wife!
• My grandfather was a hard working man who moved his way up in the business world. They worked together to begin and take care of a family. My grandparents had 2 children of their own with many heartbreaking losses along the way. They decided to become foster parents. At one point, they had up to 7 children in the house and fostered about 12 different children over time. Some children stayed for a short time while others stayed longer or came in and out of their home over the years. The child that stayed the longest was my mom. They took her in when she was only 9 days old. They fostered her for a year, and then adopted her as their own.
• Eventually, they became grandparents when I was born. I am their only grandchild, so they spoiled me as you can imagine.
• When I was 5 and a half years old, my mom asked for help taking care of me for an extended period of time. I was brought into their home to live with them and stayed until I graduated high school. They went from being my grandparents to having to take a parental role in raising me. I have always felt for them in this because I’m not sure how I would balance the two.
• They celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary on February 17, 2007. I remember them coming home sharing how wonderful their night was going to dinner and celebrating.
• In May of 2007, my grandfather retired from being the CEO of a credit union he had a big part in growing in North Alabama. Not long after his retirement he decided to go back to work, Being idle was not something he knew how to handle. He became the Director of a local family services agency.
• In August of 2007, my grandfather was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After battling cancer and being so sick, he passed away in November of 2007. I will never forget how he had a special ring for my grandmother to receive on Christmas that year that he had my uncle present to her. Even after death, he gave her a reminder of his love for her.
  

There were so many things about my grandparents’ marriage that I admired. A few of them were:

• They never fought in front of me. If they had adult matters to discuss they waited until I was supposed to be in bed to have those discussions. I may have eavesdropped a time or two and heard disagreements, but from what I remember no disrespect was given on either side.
• They made sure to have their time to talk to each other about their day each evening after my grandfather came home from work. They would go into their bathroom while he changed and share what happened that day and what was on their mind. I knew that was their time to talk and no one else was to interfere.
• They were playful and enjoyed each other’s company. Any time we were at an event with music, they would be the first two on the dance floor. If there wasn’t an official dance floor, they made their own. He was chivalrous and she honored him for the strong, intelligent, kind, and humble man and husband he was. They stood by one another from their wedding vows until his death.

My grandmother is still living. I have always admired her strength for pushing through each day’s battles without him by her side. I was 13 years old when he passed away, so I always say she should get extra jewels on her crown in Heaven because she truly is a saint for continuing to raise me through my teenage years. She knew how much my grandfather loved me and wanted the best life for me, as she did as well. She made sure it became reality. I am writing this on February 18, 2024, post-Valentine’s Day and what would have been their 67th Anniversary. 

As beautiful as their love story is, the Greatest Love Story is SO MUCH more magnificent, wonderful, and truly indescribable. This is the love story that God has given us in giving us his Son so that we may be saved and be his children to be with him forever.

God in all his goodness, grace, mercy, and most of all love, made a way to be in relationship with him. We, as humans, are sinners, meaning we have evil and darkness inside of us. Our sinful nature would keep us away from God, who cannot be associated with darkness. However, Jesus took our darkness upon himself when he died on the Cross in our place, paying our debt with his pure and Holy blood, so that we may be washed clean and be forgiven. The story didn’t end when Jesus said “It is finished.” Really, that was the very beginning for those who chose and still choose to follow Christ. He not only saved us, but he also defeated death when he rose from the grave, so that we may have hope that though we live in darkness, we know that we will live in the light one day for all eternity.

So, we were given the gift of Jesus walking on Earth and having records of his ministry to follow, the GREATEST gift of salvation, and the hope for restoration and complete healing. God gave us all that AND gave us the gift of being filled with the Holy Spirit upon accepting his Son. The same power that raised Jesus from the grave is given to us. Then, we become children of light and can draw near to God, our Father forevermore.

I know looking back on how my grandparents got me into church early on and encouraged me to make friends and be involved with church activities that they were setting me up for success and salvation at a young age. I know the Holy Spirit is who came upon me and brought mentors around me to help me make the decision to follow Jesus. I also know that if my grandparents hadn’t brought me to church, I may not have ever been introduced to those that left such a positive impact on the early days of my faith journey

Watching my grandparents interact with each other with such honor and love is a highlight in my childhood memory bank. I know that my grandmother is able to push through the tough days because she has the precious memories to hold onto, but she has even more than that! She has Jesus by her side every single day. I am proud to be their granddaughter. My grandfather was far from perfect, but he was a good man and a good measure of the kind of man I desired to have in my life “‘til death do us part.”

The beauty of death (sounds like an oxymoron) is that yes, we are parting ways from our loved ones, especially our spouses, if married, but that we are completely reunited with our Savior, Lord Jesus, when we choose to follow him throughout the rest of our lives here on Earth. As distraught as I will be when my grandmother’s time on Earth comes to a close, I know that she looks forward to seeing my grandfather again one day, no longer in pain, and fully able to worship God, her creator, and the author and perfecter of her faith!

As someone who considers herself a “romantic,” it was a privilege to watch the final days of my grandparents’ love story, truly representing Christ and His Bride, the Church. They were a special couple that brought so much joy everywhere they went! All glory goes to God, who was there along the whole way weaving their love story together to make something SO beautiful!

Check out the 2nd part of this blog post, AT LAST! and read about how the Love Story of my relationship with Jesus and my husband intertwine and bring joy to us and bring glory to God.