Timothy's Grandma
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. 2Timothy 1:5
Timothy's grandmother was probably a livewire. When her little Eunice was born her motherly instinct kicked into high gear. Somewhere, Lois had absorbed a strong faith in God and had dedicated herself to Him. There ARE grandmothers and mothers like that. She was also determined that little Eunice would know and love her God. Everything rides on attitude. America can use a lot of grandmothers and mothers that understand that.
She only had bits and pieces of the Word of God she had gleaned from other people who had bits and pieces. Only synagogues and Kings and a few wealthy people had a copy of the Word of God, which at that time would have been Genesis through Malachi. If anyone could get a copy of a book of the Bible it was probably the book of Deuteronomy. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy more than any other book.
Good Jewish mothers got their children started in the Word of God by teaching their children everything they knew and encouraged their children to learn from other people in the village whatever they had memorized. Jewish fathers contributed to the process of passing on Scripture portions but it was the mother and grandmother that had the most time with the young children. Sometimes a little school might spring up in the village. Maybe so, maybe not. Anyway, God had commanded that His people work at hiding His word in their hearts. Lois and Eunice understood this and obeyed God in teaching their children the word of God. Paul could say of Timothy:
And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2Timothy 3:15.
My grandmother, Alta (Allred) Carr was a good moral woman who made the best peach cobbler in the West Fork River area. But I didn't see her much in my early years. My grandmother Olive was my regular grandmother figure and we lived close enough in Medlock Hollow that I could wander in and out of her house at will. I even walked toward her house some in my sleep walking. She named me: Daniel. When I was about five, she and my mother ordered a Bible story book from a radio program. The hard back cover featured a picture of the prophet Daniel. When they read the story to me, I realized I had a Bible name.
Grandma Olive raised chickens and gardened well. She also had a hot temper. My mother sent me down to Grandma's house to get a jar of mustard. Grandma filled a small empty jar and told me to be careful with it. But you can't throw rocks on the way home if you are carrying a jar of mustard. I struggled to get the jar into my left front overall pocket. She urged me not to do that but I continued. Suddenly the jar flew out of my hands and the lid came off. I still don't know how so much mustard could come out of a jar in a split second and coat the wall and ceiling and floor and…. trigger my grandmother's wrath. I told her I would clean it up but she told me: "No! You just go on. I'll clean it up!" I escaped with another, smaller jar of mustard—in my hands.
Then there was the day when I was a little bigger, hoeing in her garden. She went into the house to start lunch on her wood stove. I spotted some big leafy things growing along the tall paling fence. They looked to me like Burdock weed. I was sure she had not had time to cut them down and I would do it for her. With all my energy I chopped down every stalk. "Grandma will be proud of me!" But Grandma came out of the house with a horror-stricken look on her face. "You have cut down my rhubarb! Now I'll have to quit everything else and can that rhubarb so I won't lose it!" At this point I wondered if she thought I was such a good idea. Some people should not have been born and I just might be one of them. But when she cooled down she was ok. Did you know you can make a delicious rhubarb cobbler out of just one quart of rhubarb? We had a lot of rhubarb cobbler that year.
One night I was sitting at her table to dine on cornbread and milk. She was pouring my milk and she always filled it too full. You didn't waste milk and you had to drink all that was poured. When the glass was half full I said, "That's enough Grandma." She kept pouring (I was frail and needed to put on some weight). "That's enough Grandma!" She kept pouring so I just moved my glass and figured she would stop pouring when it went on the table. It did and she did. She didn't have to touch me. She had the gift of lightning that precedes thunder.
This was the woman who named me Daniel and expected good things from me. She died in 1941 when I had just turned seven and two months before Pearl Harbor was bombed. But she made her mark on me in seven years, even with such a hot temper. Would to God that every strong willed boy might have a grandmother like my Grandmother Olive. Her daughter-in-law was named Lois. My mother had one name: Avo. She was kind and slow to anger but I was pushy and sometimes she had to underscore her directives with a switch from the peach tree beside the well.
An old proverb says: "The apples don't fall far from the tree." Not only did Lois teach Eunice well, Eunice decided early that she would raise Timothy the way her mother raised her. So she invested a lot of time in Timothy. I suppose Timothy was deprived somewhat since he did not have a TV or video games or a cell phone that he could learn to text in his pocket. It's so much easier to just let children be in charge.
To escape the intolerable whining, parents give in and buy these destructive devices for them because the weapon of choice is: "But Mom! Dad! All the other kids have these things and you are going to make me look like a misfit nerd if I don't have the electric toys and dress like them and wear my hair like them. I was a high school principal long enough to pick up on what's going on. Either parents are going to be in charge or the kids are going to be in charge. That's a conscious decision and it's usually decided by the time the child is three.
Most three-year-olds know whether or not they can manage their mothers. My mother never counted to three before lightning struck. Somehow I figured out that she was in charge and I just went with the program and her rules. She's 112 years old now and when I see her, I'm going to thank her for being in charge of me. She carried me to church in her womb and I have been attending church ever since. Ω
Home Again in Flat Rock—Barbara Carr
Our children planned a birthday celebration for Dan in Montreat, NC this year, Sept 11-12th. We partied, ate too much, shared memories and had a wonderful time! From there we went on to Southern Pines, NC for two weeks.
In traveling home on Thursday and Friday, October 1st and 2nd, we made a detour. After staying overnight in Asheville, NC we visited with my cousin in Oak Ridge, TN. It had been several years since our last visit with Glenda and Ken and seeing them brightened our trip home. We are thankful for a safe trip. Our old faithful Ford Taurus could almost make the trip to Southern Pines, NC on automatic pilot. It knew the route and what stops to make.
But, alas! Repair bills dictated a replacement. The Toyota has only made a few trips and doesn't have the hang of it yet. However, Dan does have to struggle with the steering wheel when we pass a Dairy Queen or hand-dipped Hershey's you-know-what. We enjoyed the combined visits so very much. We had worked hard this summer and our visit was a joyful retreat.
Remember the story in Acts 8:26-40? Philip was told to go to Gaza to witness to a man of Ethiopia. He traveled there, found the man, helped him understand the scripture and baptized him. Then in verse 39, Philip was caught up by the Holy Spirit and was dropped off in Azotus. Now that's the way to go! No stress, no fighting the traffic or glare from the windshield. One day soon, and it may not be long, we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. What a day that will be!
We love the church family of Southern Pines. They shower us with love and strengthen our desire to serve the Lord. While we were there a statement was made in church about our selflessness. I could have crawled under the seat, because my Heavenly Father knows that I am not selfless. Dan is, but I'm not. I could fill this article with ways that I am selfish. That's why my prayer first thing in the morning is asking my Father to help me to be what He wants me to be, to control my thoughts, attitudes, actions and words during the day. Without the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, I am a helpless mess. But God can take of that too.
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isa 41:10)
This verse is talking about the exiled Jews, but the promise can be applied to all of us in similar circumstances. This promise is as true now as it was then. God our protector is with us and in us. We are not to be alarmed but calm and composed. God is able to strengthen us. He is all powerful. He will enable us to bear our trials. He is faithful. We can rely on His right hand to hold us up. So even though I am a mess, I have this verse to cause me to look to God for guidance and help.
We are happy to be home and at the Flat Rock end of the driveway, there is family and church family whom we love. We desire the prayers of everyone at both ends of the driveway. We love and pray for you. Ω
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