I am revisiting this post as I anticipate the safe arrival of our first granddaughter in August. May this be her legacy story one day . . .
Now in their sixties and me almost there, my two older sisters and I felt like we were little girls again as we huddled together looking at old slides, projected on the wall of our parents’ room. The Kodachrome slides from the ‘50s and ‘60s still held their vibrant colors, making it seem like our parents were back in their twenties and still living among us. We oohed and aahed as the wonder of old memories—long forgotten—seemed to fill up the whole room with the click of each new slide.
First, we looked through the slides from the ‘40s, when our parents met and fell in love. Then came the photos of us three little girls, all born in Denver in the fifties, and blondies like our daddy.
We’d all forgotten the time we wore new pastel dresses and our auntie curled our hair when we were reunited with our parents after their long ministry trip overseas. Mama had brought us dolls from Paris, and we each held them up proudly as we smiled our crooked teeth grins of little girls.
But the photo that made us gasp was the one filled with the images of our mother in her thirties and both of our grandmothers, just in their sixties back in 1964. Two trusted mentors are also there. Nestled among our mama, grandmas, and mentors are us three little girls, just 11, 9 and 4 at the time.
The photo looks like it should be in a magazine, filled with splashes of different hues of blue—the mountain range behind us, the light blue ’63 Buick Roadmaster, Grandma’s flowered dark blue dress and scarf, Rhonda’s sweater, and Donna’s teal blue dress. Our other grandma rocked matching white shoes with her white purse. Donna, the middle sister, is huddled by Mama on the far left while Rhonda, the oldest, is to the far right by our Grandma Nessa, a farmer’s wife, and Grandma Eliza Christine, from Chicago whose parents were immigrants from Denmark. I love that four-year-old me is lost in her own little world, oblivious to the love, protection, joy, and beauty that hovers over her. Even my big sisters were my protectors at this stage in my little-girl life.
This photo is even more treasured because just ten years after it was taken both of our grandmothers would be in heaven, Eliza dying of cancer, and Nessa in a car accident. Alzheimer’s took my mother just five years ago. Oh, how I love all of the women in this photo! They all loved us—and Jesus—fiercely and prayed like mighty warriors over us for years.
What I love the most about this Kodachrome from 1964 is that it illustrates the impact of the women who came before me. Their prayers continue to echo through my life and that of my daughters. And one day, perhaps there will be a four-year-old great-granddaughter of mine just playing in her room, unaware of the generations of prayers that cover her.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1–2
Our past certainly influences the present. You are carrying forth the legacy of faith passed on to you by those who have gone on into eternity. Let your faith enable you to run the race and win.
Beautiful, Judy. Thanks for sharing your family with us. Praying women aren’t to be underestimated.
With crystal clarity you’ve presented the lovely Scriptural principle of generational influence for God. And the gentle words blessed my soul. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Marlene, for your kind encouragement!
oh my, thank you for this! Like a lot of grandma’s my grandchildren are never far from my thoughts. I pray a lot for them. when My mother died, my son said,”who is going to pray for me now?” I told him I would. Sweet post and thanks for sharing.
Carol, I am so glad this encouraged you! How amazing that you can carry on your mother’s legacy of prayer!
Beautiful. Such a story of the legacy that comes before us beckoning us to in turn to leave our own legacy to those who follow. This makes me think of my own grandmothers and what they were to me as I now enter the role of grandmother myself.
Oh, Michelle, you will love the role of being a praying grandma.
What greater blessing is there than a praying mom? I guess it would be layers of praying moms!! Love showered from Him to us for all our days. Your photo causes me to give thanks for yours and for mine.
Lovely, joyful and full of grace. We, as readers are grateful for their prayers as well, as we are the beneficiaries of your walk. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Sally! I love the thought of “layers of praying moms.”
Dear Judy. This picture and story, the beautiful legacy that is yours, is like a gift of hope to me. Thank you so much for sharing your family and the treasure of this photo.
I have studied the smiling faces of the lovely women in your picture as I’ve asked the Lord to continue what He graciously began with me in our generationally young family of faith. He is faithful.
Funny, little you at 4 looks an awful lot like little Scandinavian me at 4 years old!
Dear Jill, Oh, how amazing to have a “generationally young family of faith” where you are the one to pick up the baton of faith to impact your future generations! I am glad this post and photo breathed hope into your story! And, what fun to hear that we looked alike at 4 years old.
Judy, this is such a dear post! I too am born and raised in Denver in the same era and have entered into the grandmothering season of life. I am so humbled by the opportunity to continue to pray for my children and their children. So excited for you and your first grandchild coming soon.
Jody! Wow! We have so much in common. Grateful to hear that you too are being called to be a praying grandma! Actually the baby coming in August will be our third grandbaby, but first granddaughter. A baby boy was born in April, so those cousins will be close together, and another boy who is 2 1/2 already! SO fun! Tell me about your grandkids if you get a chance.
Nothing like good memories.Blessings
So true!
What a treasure; a photo to remind you of these beautiful women who trained you in the knowledge of the Lord. It is a reminder to the rest of us to BE that kind of woman to those God has placed in our lives. I have had so many women reach out to mentor and love me through the years, and I hope to be faithful in doing that for others. Thank you for the encouragement to keep praying and to keep speaking truth to the precious women (including my two daughters) in my life!
Andrea! Thank you for lingering here to share your heart! Joining you in that same prayer for speaking into other women’s lives, including my two daughters as well! Blessings!
I love this. What wonderful, special memories for you! We have what I call a “Family Twig,” but the prayer warriors in my family have run strong. My mom and grandparents prayed me through an 18-year prodigal journey. When they say there is power in a mother’s prayer, I’m living proof of it.
Oh, how beautiful to hear of your legacy of a praying grandmother!