I watched you. For 60 years, I’ve watched your life. I’ve been your daughter in law for 32 years, but I’ve known you since the day I was born.
I sat behind you in church as a child. Watching you live out you love for the Lord in word and deed. I sat behind you as a rebellious, smart-mouthed teenager, thinking more about boys during church than what the preacher was saying, but I still always watched you. I wasn’t a relative, but you treated me like one. Steady, loving, always greeting me with a hug and a smile, calling me (your trademark) sugar. You still call me that.
When I was a kid, you loved me. When I was a teenager not living right, you loved me. When I was broken and abused and lost, you didn’t just love me…you helped put me back together.
I was broken when I married your son. He was broken, too. But you still loved me as your own. I wasn’t steady and stable, but you were. And you knew I could be again. Through all of my mistakes and missteps of being a new wife and 1st time mom to 2 broken little boys, you supported and loved me. You saw what I could be, and was steady and consistent with your prayers instead of criticism and judgment.
Thank you for being patient with me.
I watched you, watching me.
Decades passed with one catastrophic event after another in this family and more near death experiences that I can count.
You were strong and steadfast.
I told Lester today, that I have known giants and generals of the faith in my lifetime, but I’ve only known 3 people personally with crazy, mountain moving faith. Those 3 are you, Pop, and my Grannie Wright. My Grannie literally laid hands on her dead baby and commanded life to return, and it did. I wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t. Pop certainly had the anointing of the Apostle Peter for this generation, with miracles and signs and wonders following.
Four years ago, I watched you live the hardest moments of your entire life. After Pop’s stroke, we moved in with you to help with his care. And I watched you live for an entire year - your faith never wavering.
For an entire year, you slept with a lamp blaring in your face and never had even one full night of sleep. For a solid year, you fasted more than you ate. For a solid year, you grieved while the love of your life - your entire world slowly slipped away. You were worn out, and 80 years old. You ran on caffeine and prayer. You knew he was in God’s hands, but you never once allowed yourself to speak fear or doubt. Through difficult days, you celebrated every small victory , and prayed for peace during every defeat. The suffering you endured that last year was monumental . But you never wavered.
Because faith doesn’t do that.
After he passed, we didn’t know how you would go on. Your deep love for him and such a tremendous loss in addition to other difficulties you were facing made me wonder if you would just give up and want to go on to be with him.
But while I was watching an amazing thing occurred.
The Peter’s anointing didn’t leave Pop when Jesus took him home. Pop doesn’t need it anymore in Heaven.
That mantle was passed to you.
I am watching as you spend hours a day in encounters with the Lord warring over your family. I am watching you, as you lay hands on the sick knowing that they will recover. I am watching as people prophesy over you over and over that God isn’t finished with you yet.
I am watching as you emerge as an evangelist in this end time revival.
I am watching as young girls that don’t even know you come up to you asking you to pray over them. I am watching you pray in the Holy Ghost for hours on end.
I am watching a warrior being raised up out of the ashes and soldier on.
I don’t even have the words to adequately honor you. But I couldn’t let your 84th birthday end without telling the world, that they need to watch you, too.
Rise up woman of God. Your time is right now.
And when the day comes that the Lord takes you home, I will be watching. And if he chooses to take you in the rapture, I pray that I am right next to you in that very moment.
I love you heart and soul, sweet Granny.