My Grandmother, My Faith, And The Cross

When I was a child, I spent a lot of time with my grandmother. She was from Mexico and was raised with a strong faith in Jesus Christ. I can honestly say that my Christian education began with her, and it was by her side that I learned about His life and that He died for me. More importantly, I learned that He lived for me as well, and that if I would love and follow Him, I was guaranteed a happy life, regardless of what trials or reverses came my way.

For me, the Lord was a real part of my life. My witness of Him came much later, but because of the teachings of my grandmother, I believed that He could see me, and that my bad choices would bring Him sorrow. When I was about five years old, I was angry about something and ended up breaking a window in the front door at her house. When I saw what I had done, I burst into tears, not because I was afraid of what my father would do, but because I knew that what I had done made Jesus sad.

As I sat there and sobbed, she wrapped her arms around me and told me that it was going to be okay. When my uncles came and saw the window, she told them that she must have pushed the door too hard when she closed it. When my father heard that, he looked at me, and I knew that he knew that she was lying. I wanted to shrink down, but he only shrugged and arranged to get the window fixed. She shouldn't have lied for me, but she loved me and was willing to take the blame from me, and as I grew older, I realized that the Lord had done the same thing.

Once, when she returned from a trip back to Mexico, she brought me a present. It was a beautiful cross necklace on a golden chain. I loved and cherished it, and wore it everywhere. I even drew pictures of it and always kept it close. That cross necklace jewelry was a sign of the two great loves in my life as a child; my Lord, and my abuelita.

She passed on many years ago, and I have no doubt that she received a great reward. Now, I have children of my own, and I want to pass the faith that she gave me on to them. I can only teach them by example, but maybe a little cross on a golden necklace would remind them of the love that I, my grandma, and most importantly, the Lord has for them.