January Blog – Women's Ministry

There was no exception to this visit in July, Iowa was hot and humid. There is enough humidity there to drench your skin with moisture, so much so, that you don’t have to use a moisturizer, and ladies, if you lack collagen, you look like you have plenty of it.

My Grandpa Andy owned the local dairy in Fairfield, Iowa. He worked long hours and he always made my heart delighted and “full” to see or be with him. There were days that he would get back to their home in time for dinner and sometimes it would be dark before his face grazed the door frame. I have written about my Grandpa Andy before, but today I just need the reminder of the sweetness he brought to my life and I want to share that with you.

One evening when Grandpa got home, we were all getting ready for dinner. We ate something simple and I can remember after dinner he always had fruit. He and my grandmother had raised 5 children in this small sweet cozy home. He always wore the same thing, every day except Sunday. He wore railroader overalls. You know the kind that has blue and white pin-stripping, you don’t see this kind anymore. Tucked under the overalls was a white t-shirt, plain, no-frills of an embroidered emblem or any insignia. From the time I can remember Grandpa had a full head of pure white hair. He was handsome, strong and kind. His demeanor was gentle. I never heard him raise his voice or speak disrespectfully about anything or anyone. He knew everyone in the small town it seemed. Everyone was his friend. He was the grandpa everyone wished they had, at least that is what I’d like to think. He had a hearty laugh and a good sense of humor. I remember that day when I decided as a middle-school girl I would dabble in make-up. You may remember the green and blue thick color we would put on our eyelids (kind of like Mi Mi from Drew Carey Show). I did that, I’ll admit it. My tender grandpa came through the door that day, walked up to me, put his arm tenderly around my shoulder as he hugged me close side-by-side, smiled, and said, “’Twithy’, what do you have on your eyes, that sure is green.” He left it at that, he didn’t need to say anymore. His eyes spoke the love he felt for me and the confidence he had with who I was without this color on my eyes. I didn’t wear it like that for much longer. His impact, forever in my heart, gave me the courage to make life-long choices because of who he was.

When I pray about what to write about, I pray God will give me a memory that will also remind me of Him and His love I can share with you. As I write this, I am reminded how Jesus gently comes alongside me, alongside us, with tender reminders of who He has made me/us to be. We are made to be in Him and He in us, what I do externally to be trendy or stay in stride with fashion is not what matters. For us as women, body image is not what He looks at, our hair perfect or not, or our comparison - it is not in His expectation … What matters? It is to whom our hearts belong. I am praying as you make new goals this year and think about expectations, you find a love for our Lord and fully accept the generous gifts He has for each of us, to include His abundant love for His great design in each of us. One of my favorite things to say to myself when I feel “less than” is, “I am a daughter of The Most High God” no one and nothing can change what He has given me or us in this.

- Traci Hollingsworth