As we approach Grandparents Day (September 11, 2022) I would like to welcome back Jay Davis, my father-in-law. In today’s post, we see how one grandparent made a lasting impact that has guided generations.
Recently I went through an old box that contain old pictures, photos, and my mom’s Bible. My mom grew up going to church and my great-grandmother was a soldier in The Salvation Army. Somewhere in her past she also was connected to The Church Of The Nazarene. Both The Salvation Army & The Church Of The Nazarene are Wesleyan Arminian churches. When I was growing up I remember my mom taking me to both churches. I am not sure of her reasoning to attend off and on both churches but both places gave me the “Jesus Good News”. The Bible that was included in the box of old photos was gifted to my mom because of “Perfect Attendance” at The Salvation Army and it was dated 1940. With that date, she would have been 14—a young teenager attending The Salvation Army in Grand Island, Nebraska and honored for her perfect attendance. My mom was later married in 1942.
The Bible’s contents included Oscar Beenblossom’s death notice and my mom’s father’s death notice. Bible’s in our family were often places to keep things like these newspaper clippings. Also included was a newspaper clipping of the story of the soldier’s deck of cards which recounts the Bible’s main emphases and the Bible’s books.
Handwritten notes in the Bible front are interesting:
“Perfect attendance and conduct at Sunday School the year of 1939.”
“The Eleventh Commandment John 13:34”
“Presented to Marrion Nohel by Capt. And Mrs. Foubister Date Febr. 4, 1940”
A small torn paper bookmark was placed in Revelation 21-22 and in Proverbs 12-13. Revelation because of the hope of heaven & eternity. Proverbs because it speaks of wisdom versus wickedness in chapter 12 and in chapter 13 because it speaks of the wisdom of right living.
Living right and the hope of heaven are both foundational to living the Jesus kind of life.
You can read more from Jay here https://rootedsimply.com/index.php/2022/08/16/welcome-to-a-spiritual-journey/