Grandma

My Grandma is not doing well. After two strokes, she has many issues that are pretty much all serious. I could list them all, but I'm not a doctor, so I'd probably mess up the terms and such. So, instead I will just blog about Grandma herself and what she means to me.

Today I brought a picture of her to work to set on my desk. This way, I will think about her and pray for her throughout the day. Not that I need a picture to remember her, because she is always on my mind right now, but because I like to see her happy. The picture I brought in was from my wedding day. She looks so pretty and her smile is so genuine. Some pictures I've seen of Grandma are pretty stiff and staged. But this one, well, it's so beautiful. My brother is the background, but other than that, it's a beautiful picture. Just kidding, bro.

Since I was there with her the summer my Grandpa died, I feel like we sort of have this bond. It's hard to explain, but it's there. And now, the thought of her lying in that hospital bed, with tubes and monitors and even restraints, well, it's almost more than I can take. I'm emotional anyway nowadays, but I find myself tearing up when I see this picture. But, I'm not going to get rid of it or put it away. I need it there.

The doctors don't have very high hopes for Grandma's recovery at this point. But, my God is bigger than all that. Doctors have been known to be wrong. Patients have been known to defy all odds. That's my prayer. That's my heartfelt, earnest, on-going prayer. Grandma can beat this. Jesus is the Great Physician and if it's His will, He'll bring her through this. Grandma is tough. She's the toughest lady I know. It seems like just yesterday she and I were cleaning out the gutters on the old rental house. When I say she and I were cleaning out the gutters, I really mean Grandma was up on the roof doing the bulk of the work herself. She knows how to work. She's good with her hands and can figure out any kind of materials issue you can throw at her. She remembers the names and birthdays of even her friends' grandkids!! She works crossword puzzles that a college graduate would have trouble with. That's Grandma. This frail shell lying on that hospital bed, not able to form complete sentences or use her leg or see clearly out of her right eye, that's not really Grandma. She's in there, but maybe she's just resting right now. She'll come back to us. I'm praying. I'm praying really hard.