A Legacy of Love

Whenever a certain friend of my oldest comes over, at some point she wears my Grandma Gerry’s wedding dress. This homemade, pink dress that oozes the 70s somehow made it into our wardrobe of costumes, and it gets amazing use. Besides being the preferred outfit for the 9-year-old girl, it is the perfect costume when a Good Queen Mommy is needed (Evil Queen is a different costume, different blog post).

Whenever I see it, I think of Grandma Gerry. Any time someone is wearing that symbol of her love for the Gettinger family, I think of her legacy of love.

I also think of her every time I make a pie. While I find pie crusts especially difficult, but she had pie magic. Once I baked with her as a teenager, and she threw Crisco into flour and, boom! out came a crust. She loved her family through her pies.

And it wasn’t only pies. She worked tirelessly so that her home was a place where family and friends could come and love each other. Whether by cooking or cleaning, she toiled so we could come and enjoy. She loved us through her great food and spotless home. Her impact on the Kingdom of God came through her acts of service.

Recently in our Women’s Bible Study, we’ve discussed Proverbs 31:10-11

A wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies.  Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing.

It then goes on to describe her industry and loving care of those around her and includes (verse 28)

Her children arise and call her blessed.

I see Grandma Gerry in this.  She left a lovely legacy of love for those who came after her.

In that Bible study session, we named women that we saw exemplifying these characteristics.  Some named other women in the group.  That made some uncomfortable, as if it was something they didn’t qualify for.  Something I find interesting is how easy it is to give examples of how we don’t measure up.

I bet Grandma Gerry could give examples of what she wasn’t as a grandma.  She didn’t give amazing gifts like my kids’ grandparents do.  I don’t remember her getting on the floor and playing with us like my children expect when Grandma comes over.  If you measured her by what she wasn’t, she certainly could fall short.

Odds are, the Proverbs 31 woman would, too.  We aren’t given a list of who she wasn’t, just who she was.  When we measure ourselves by what we weren’t created to be, we will fail.  However, when we assess who we are in Christ and what He’s called us to do, we can thrive.  My character can be expressed when I let God use me for the purposes that He ordained; when I start “shoulding myself”, considering all the things I should do to be great in my roles, or focus on what I would prefer over where I am, I miss God’s development of my noble character.

While “immaculate housekeeper” was God’s calling on Grandma Gerry’s life to be a woman of noble character, it may not be mine.  Comparison is not what matters; faithfulness in my assigned role is what matters.  As I demonstrate faithfulness, my prayer is that I’ll leave a similar legacy.  A legacy of love.