Happy Birthday, Granny

Today is my Granny's 84th birthday!! I look forward to calling her later today when my children come back from Grandma's house. 84 years is a long time, isn't it? She'll tell you she has had a long life, a meaningful life. She's lived through the depression, she lost her dad when she was a preteen, she has seen her mother and all 4 of her sibling die as well as her husband of 50 years. She remembers not having electricity or refrigeration, and how her family worked to survive and the blessings God gave so her mom could raise them. It does seem like a long time, but yet I cannot imagine her time at an end. I know it's coming and sadly it'll be sooner that we hope as she fights the cancer that is in her body. This will very likely be her last birthday on earth. Though I am not ready to let her go, it's not her earthly birthday that gives me hope. She has a birthday worth more than that of being brought into this world. My grandmother has a spiritual birthday. That day when she prayed and asked forgiveness of her sins and that she put her faith in Jesus Christ. She has faithfully followed Him throughout her days, not without failures I'm sure. She'll be first to tell you she has made mistakes. But because she and I both have spiritual birthdays we will have eternity together. Someday soon she'll be with some of her own family that she has seen leave this world, including her husband. It makes me think of a line from an old hymn..."When the roll is called up yonder I'll be there." It's what makes this truly a "happy" birthday instead of a sad one. Here are some pictures of my grandmother over the years.


My grandmother in high school.


This is her on the left right after she married my grandfather. The other woman is my grandfather's sister.




At my college graduation.


My grandparents.


My grandmother holding my mom after she was born.


Her wedding picture.


My brother and I with Granny this summer.


My Aunt and my Granny.