Two years ago today, one of the most special people in my life passed away. My maternal grandmother, "Grammie", is one of my heroes. I look like her, have a similar personality, and learned many hymns from her years of humming in the kitchen. Two years after her passing, though, I want to share a story of God's faithfulness to me.
When my Grammie was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, I selfishly asked God for 2 things. First, I asked Him that she would ALWAYS know she loved me. Second, I asked for a special last memory with her. It cannot be coincidence that I was given both.
In mid-July, 2013, I was preparing to leave town for two weeks to teach at a fine arts camp in Nashville. Grammie hadn't been doing well, and I knew it was possible she would pass while I was gone, so the day before I left, I went to my aunt's house to visit her.
When I walked into the room, she had just been changed and rolled, and she was quite flustered. I went over to her, took her hand, and rubbed her hair out of her face. She looked at me, and I told her I loved her. She looked back at me with the blank stare of emptiness that Alzheimer's causes. After some pained one-sided conversation, I told her I loved her one more time. Again, I didn't get any response. A long pause later, I had to pull myself away. As I turned to walk out of the room though, I heard an almost inaudible whisper, "I love you, pretty girl." Those were the last words I ever heard my Grammie speak. She always knew she loved me, even if she didn't always know my name.
Well, two weeks later, I came home, and it was my precious Grammie's final hours to live. She had taken a turn for the worse while I was gone, could no longer swallow, and was gasping for breaths. I went to see her and the atmosphere surrounding her was thick and restless. When I'm upset, I turn to music. So, naturally, I picked up my cousin's guitar, and started to sing "Give Me Jesus."
The old hymn begins with "In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus" and culminates with "When I come to die, give me Jesus." As I started singing, my sweet grandmother's breathing got more even, and soon, a single tear rolled down her face. She could hear what I was singing, and even in her pitiful, nearly dead physical state, I fully believe the Spirit was still alive in her ministering to her.
The next morning, 7-29-2013, Elizabeth Ann Currey rose up, came to die, and was given Jesus. However, I was given two special answers to prayer and my faith was strengthened. The things I'd asked for, God answered beyond what I could have imagined.
Now, two years later, I still miss my Grammie. I also have recorded the song, "Give Me Jesus." I'm attaching a link to the YouTube video I made with pictures of her life and the song playing behind it. I tried to keep the arrangement as similar to what I played for her as I could. It is my tribute to my grandmother who lived well and whose legacy lives on in me.
https://www.youtube.com/edit?video_id=23x3E8hY4Zg&video_referrer=watch
In His grace,
Kristy
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