Little Grandma

Meet a woman who’s one of my heroes.  Although I’ve never met her in person, and don’t even know her real name, she’s an inspiration to me all the same.  My son calls her “Abuelita”, which is an endearing term meaning “little grandma” in Spanish.  For one year she made my son’s meals, washed his clothes and loved on her little brood of American college boys, while they lived abroad in El Salvador. Sitting around our dinner table last night, Taylor began talking about Abuelita—about how she’ll be one of Christ’s servants who’ll have hundreds, if not thousands, of jewels in her crown in heaven.  He smiled broadly as he reminiscent about how the boys asked if perhaps she could cook with a little less oil.  Taylor laughed as he recalled Abuelita’s pride when she called the boys into the kitchen to see how she had cut back on the oil, only to discover she had doubled up on butter.  The boys gave her a big hug and ate her lovingly prepared food anyway.

Abuelita loves to laugh (notice the hat she let the boys put on her head!) She loves telenovelas (a.k.a. Spanish soap operas). But above all, Abuelita loves Jesus.  If fact, she loves Jesus so much that she painstakingly studies her Bible everyday—even though she can barely read.  Abuelita never had the privilege of an education, and she stands a mere 4’9’’ tall, but Abuelita is one of Jesus’ giants.  She loves.  She serves.  She prays.  And, to the best of her ability, she tries to read God’s Word daily, so she can love Him more.

Abuelita loves my God and, for an entire year, she loved on my son.  I wonder if my feelings for Abuelita are something like what God feels for those who love His Son.

Today I wanted you to meet a woman who inspires me.  Maybe she’ll inspire you, too.