Lessons learned from Nanny

Today marks 2 years that my sweet Nanny has been in Heaven. She died of Ovarian Cancer and was only 64 years old. ( She was a very young mama-16 and only a 36 year old grandmother-Crazy, isn't it?)
Yes I called her Nanny until the day she died and will forever continue to call her that because saying Grandma just isn't right. She always wanted us to call her Nanny and we all loved it.
There truly is not one day that goes by that I don't think of her in some capacity. I think about her when I am making my sweet tea and remember that little beat up pan she used to always use even though she had a million others that were in better shape. I think about how she used to make the best tea but never even liked it herself! I can still remember Sunday after church at her house for meals and how there was always someone new she had over at the dinner table. Thanksgiving meals with extra families that we didn't even know. She loved to cook and loved to serve! She would sit at the table and tell stories about people she knew or had visited in the week and tears would well up when she talked about their circumstances-she was so sympathetic and she had a heart for people. It was the gift God had given her and she had His awesome annointing on her life.
Nanny was the best giver I have ever known. At her viewing and funeral we had so many people come to us telling stories of what she did for them. Random people who we don't even know and never will were touched in remarkable ways because of my Nanny's life. People came to tell us how they were living in an empty apartment with no furniture and she and my grandpa brought them beds and mattresses. Another person told of how she bought the church a van and nobody knew but him. Now I must stop to tell you that my grandparents are blessed yes, but not wealthy by any means. They both grew up with nothing but God blessed them because of her giving. I want to be more like that-the biggest lesson learned from her life.
I don't know why it seems like you need someone more when they are gone. I feel like this time of my life would have been so fun with her. I know she would love being with these girls of mine and dolling them all up. They would have loved her too!
She was a true example of strength, poise and beauty. She was the strongest woman I have ever known. She was so sick at the end of her life and she had more strength than anyone around her. Half the time we would all be walking around moping but she spoke life to all she came in contact with. She visited and prayed for other sick folks just weeks before she died herself. She was really cool and really bold. My prayer is to be more like that. Another song lyric here but one that has really been speaking to me lately-it's so true-"God let me have just enough strength to live for today so I never have to worry what tomorrow will bring because my faith is on solid ground-I am counting on God." She lived each day with strength and she lived it for God. What a legacy!
Shiloh Jean was due on her birthday(May 6th) but ended up coming 2 weeks early. What is cool is that my aunt and my grandma share the same b-day and Shiloh would have made three. I know Nanny would have wanted me to get out of my misery rather than go to the due date. She was just that way. Shiloh Jean is named after her(Bonnie Jean) and it is so cool because she really favors her a lot. I do miss her greatly but I do love the memories I have of her. The memories I think of most are the ones that revealed what her true character was and those memories in turn then teach me more about who God is and who He wants to be for us.
God is good even in times of pain!


*I don't know her exact age (probably 20's) in the picture above but I absolutely love this picture.