A Grandparent’s Love

A Grandparent’s Love

Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own.

Ruth 4:16

Do you remember who loved you first? Did your grandparents pop into your head? I remember curling up next to my grandfather and watching old John Wayne movies while my grandmother cooked up a special lunch. I remember sitting between them in the front seat of their Buick and listening to hymns on their 8-track tape player. I remember them taking me shopping to get a sweatshirt jacket just like Olivia Newton-John’s.

Amish novelist Jerry S. Eicher shares some special memories of his Amish grandparents.

[Grandfather Eicher’s] preaching is still a distinct memory. When I remember him speaking, I see his face lifted toward the ceiling, his hands clasped in front of him, his white beard flowing over his arms. He could chant a thousand miles an hour, or so it seemed to me. A person could lose himself in that voice. It was as if I were enveloped in love and acceptance. In his preaching, he was never going anywhere particular. He had no agenda. He simply exalted in the holy words, as if he were glad to be part of such a great thing.

Grandmother Eicher could chatter during the week about as fast as Grandfather Eicher did on Sundays. She’d say hi, give out a long stream of words, and then bustle on. There was always something going on at her house. She came from Arthur, Illinois. Grandfather made contact with her from his world in Davies County, Indiana. My guess is they met when he visited Arthur on weekends for weddings or funerals, typical Amish reasons to travel to another town.

It’s said that grandchildren are a special gift to grandparents, but the opposite is true too. Do you have special memories of a grandparent? Take time to write them down for your children or grandchildren. If you still have a grandparent living, make a point to give him or her a call. A grandparent’s love is to be cherished and enjoyed!

Dear heavenly Father, I thank You for the grandparents who first loved me and opened my heart to the love of others.