SURPRISE!!!!!

In my church we have this wonderful elderly woman we fondly call “Grandma” (pronounced the Nigerian way oh! LOL..). She was an active member of the parish for so many years until sometime last year when she fell ill and became bed ridden. Not only was she an active member, she was regarded as some sort of Matron to all the children of the church. She showered the kids (and everyone really) with so much love; buying gifts, cakes and sweets at every opportunity (I guess that’s what endeared the kids to her the most!). I remember very well that whenever the kids saw her entering the gate of the church, you’d see a host of them running towards her and almost throwing her down with their hugs and kisses. They’d grab her bag, her bible and sometimes even her walking stick at which point she’d tell them to just hold it with her as she walked in. We’ve missed those memorable days with Grandma.

Anyway, since we hadn’t seen Grandma (at least not as a group) in months, last week Sunday, the teachers of the Children’s church decided to surprise her with a short visit during service. We bundled all the kids into 6 cars, bought some snacks on the way and headed to Grandma’s house for “fellowship”. Oh you need to see the look on Grandma’s face when we entered her room. The kind of energy that came into her, the way she jumped up from the bed to receive all the tiny hugs and kisses….hmmm that’s a scene I’ll cherish for a long time. She was so so happy to see all of us. The kids hopped on her bed, each one giving her a hug and a kiss as they climbed. It was so touching. We sang with her, prayed with her and then came time to receive an elder’s blessing from her. Everyone in the room knelt down to receive their blessings and despite the fact that she could barely talk, she certainly prayed with all her heart. We all felt the love tangibly in the room (I think I shed a tear or two at this point).

I’ve learnt a couple of things from this simple experience you know? Did you know that love has great healing and reviving powers? Just by being surrounded by people who love you, a person can recover much faster from any form of sickness. It just takes a visit, a phone call, a simple word of encouragement, a smile, a touch… I can’t remember when last I did something for someone that touched the person as much as this visit touched Grandma. I can’t remember when last I picked up the phone to call any of my grandparents or someone I haven’t seen or heard from in ages. There was a time I & some women actually used to visit the Kirikiri Female Prison once every month to pray with the inmates; it brought so much joy to them as we always left them with goodies from the outside world. But it brought even more joy to me, knowing I had touched someone’s heart with the gift of love.

The truth is, work, family, the unending search for greener pastures etc have a way of denying us the pleasure of being a blessing to people around us. Life has become like a survival-of-the-fittest race. It’s always all about Me, Me, Me!!! We spend more time focusing on getting to our destination without relaxing and enjoying the ride there with the people that matter most to us. So, if you’re anything like me and have defaulted in any way, please redeem your ways. Call that “Grandma” or “Grandpa” of yours, visit (and bless) that less privileged neighbor, take a trip to the hospital or the prison or motherless babies home….anything!!! Just sow your little seeds in as many places as possible. You’ll see, in the end your footprints will be indelible in the sands of time. Take that step today.

XOXO…