“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you” (2 Timothy 1:5)
My great-grandma taught me how to crochet when I was nine years old. She was 90 at the time, still living on her own in a little cottage on a lake, with a basement full of mysterious old things just waiting to be explored and a lake full of fish and frogs just waiting to be caught. Her gnarled hands were deft with a crochet hook, her bright eyes sparkled while she talked and worked. From my great grandma, I learned creativity, to make something of beauty out of whatever leftover odds and ends I could find.
My grandma taught me how to make a bed when I was twelve years old. She showed me how to tuck in the corners just so, to turn the top sheet back over the edge of the quilt; ready to welcome whoever was going to sleep there. She said, when she got done making a bed, that “it looked so nice she wanted to crawl right in and take a nap.” She taught me the importance of taking the extra time to do the little things right.
My own mother taught me more than I can recount. Our home wasn’t always well organized. Our birthday parties were not decadent affairs. My hair wasn’t perfect for ballet recitals. But my childhood glowed with the warmth of her love, care, laughter, cooking, and daily self-sacrificial pouring out of herself for her family. From my mother, I learned what great family life really consists of, even if it doesn’t look perfect.
Above all else, these women were faithful. Faithful to God, their families, and their vocations. I have been blessed with an amazing legacy. I want to do all that I can to continue their story of faith. In the moments when being a mom seems difficult, I think of my great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother. I am inspired to build on a legacy of faith that, Lord willing, may continue for generations.
Sarah is a wife and mother to four young kids and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she and her husband help lead an intentional Christian community.
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