This Little Light of Mine

Growing up in a small town where everybody knows your name was wonderful yet a nightmare at times. Of course there was always lots of love to go around but at the same time someone else's nose was always in your business and ready with eager lips to spread it. However now that I am officially a married mother of 5 city girl I can look back and see just how great I had it.

I grew up in the only pink house in town along with my sister and we were raised by my elderly grandparents. If I had to only pick one word to describe them ,though I could choose of many, the word would be "angels". In this day and age no one believes me when I tell them the truth that my grandparents were the embodiment of love. They believed in God and in Christ and they didn't just say it, they meant it, and they lived it. It was through their actions that my sister and I witnessed day after day that we can now appreciate just how special and rare they were.

We have all heard that song "This little light of mine. I'm gonna let it shine. Oh this little light of mine. I'm gonna let it shine....." well they had that light and they always let it shine. My grandmother was a beautiful person inside and out. She carried herself with grace and with love always with a sense of compassion. My grandfather on the other hand held himself up with a sense of dignity and respect while being in the spirit of service always. Both my grandparents had so much love for one another. Looking back I realize that it was their love for one another that allowed them freely to give of themselves not only to each other but to everyone that they came in contact with.

My grandfather was a strong man who stood at about 5'11" and though his hands were big and worn they were always gentle enough to tug on my ears. He wasn't a man of very many words but his words were always kind and loving when it came to my grandmother. He loved her and everyone could see it. He loved her more than life itself and it showed.  His voice was typically always under control but when it boomed you listened. You couldn't help but listen. He never though even so much as raised his voice at my grandma. He had too much love, too much respect, and too much adoration to ever do that to her. In return my grandmother showered him with love and she too loved him more than life itself.

My grandma was a small woman about 5" but she held down the fort pretty well. She always took care of my grandfather making sure his meals were done and indoor chores taken care of. My grandfather would help her but mostly she did it alone. Though she was always finding something to keep her busy she always found lots of time for me and my sister. We laughed, we played , and she shared with us stories, always reminding us to wait on God to make sure that we found true love as she had with my grandfather. The love that she carried for him was grand and not a more perfect love story have I ever seen in my entire life as I witnessed first hand through them. She doted on him and he loved it. Being Hispanic I would always hear them exchange their "I love you's" in Spanish. She too was a woman with a meek voice but had no problems giving advice and counseling where needed. They were the perfect duo. A match made in heaven. Together they were a force of love to be reckoned with.

Growing up I would always hear them pray together, not just for themselves, but for others. They would pray for hours and when my grandmother died we found pages worth of names of people that she would pray for on a nightly basis. They say that a family that prays together stays together and I have no doubts that is absolutely true. It kept them strong and firm not just in their walk with Christ but in their walk with each other.

Now that I am in my mid 30s and have a family all of my own I can see just how the pieces of the puzzle from my past can shape my future. I have been taught and taught well in the gifts of love. It is up to me to put them in practice and show my little family what I have seen. I want them to see the same love, the same guidance, the same power that I saw as a child. I can fully appreciate now as an adult just how much work they put into making this happen. Their little light shinned on my sister and my faces for so many years and even though they are gone I refuse to allow their light to go out with them. Yes it is time for my own light to shine.