Tribute to my Mother-in-law/Grannie


Weekend Read August 12 2012:

My Mother-in-law passed away in 1999.  She was a generous person but never learned how to show  love to her family.  As a result it was difficult to openly show affection toward her.  In her later years, I visited her often in the nursing home.  This is an entry from my diary.  November 1996’

Through the love of Christ, I seem to be gaining compassion for Bob’s Mom.  I’m remembering her generosity to me many years ago.  It was the only way she knew to show her love and acceptance of me.  She said it seldom, if ever, but then I probably never told her that I loved her either.  Perhaps it was because of the many hurts she caused my husband when he was growing up. 

Very slowly, I am realizing the deep wounds that were inflicted and the healing process is slow.  I thank God, He has given me grace to be patient and show grace and mercy during the healing time.  My wonderful husband is no longer afraid to display tenderness and allow his emotions to show. What a wonderful blessing!  Through God’s grace, I can now say, “I love you.” to his Mom and mean it.  I know how important it is to hear those words and I pray that I will be able to concentrate on her good points and may my love be able to drown out the ‘negative’ things that have occurred during my 38 years of knowing her. 
She is very frail and her wish is to die.  I pray that the Lord will take her soon.  I can’t even imagine being in her place.  She feels unloved and unneeded, especially by her grand children.  They don’t go to see her and I know this hurts her deeply.  I also know she did not work very hard at developing a relationship with them but I still feel sorry for her.  I must remember to pray for her more.  “Please bring her to my thoughts in prayer more often, Lord.”  I pray that our children will not suffer guilt feelings as they grow older because their lives are truly busy and at a “different’ place right now.

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