Sunday, January 14, 2007

Grandma, The Greatest!

I came home not too long ago from my grandma's 83rd birthday celebration. I brought her and the family to a Chinese restaurant in a hotel located along the Marina Bay area. I praise the Lord she enjoyed the dinner. I think I over-ordered though because I chose all the dishes she likes. I did not want to miss out any basically.

After the last course, she candidly whispered into my ear that she was so full that her baju-kebaya (an outfit worn by the Straits Chinese aka Peranakan or Baba) might just rip apart. :)

I just wanted mama (as she is affectionately known) to enjoy this special day that God has made for her. She has toiled many years having to take care of the family and this is just a small act of appreciation for her love towards me and every one else in the family.

In fact, her birthday was on 7 January (last Sunday) but we could not celebrate it then as she was having a bad gastritis attack.

I am very grateful to mama because she is the one who has been taking care of me since I was a baby. Even now at the age of 34, she is still taking care of this "Ah-Boy."

When I was doing my lower primary education, she was the one who walked me to and from school - rain or shine. When I became a difficult child to handle because of bad influences I got from some gangster-friends, she always tried to protect me when my mum caned me. She would even use her own body to cover over mine so that mum would stop whacking me.

When I did not do well for my 'O' Level exams and had a bad quarrel with my mum over that, mama would be the one to encourage me to press on and not give up.

There are just so many things that I can write about her love and care for me but I think the above-mentioned are enough to show what a great woman she is.

Mama's life has not been that great since she was a young woman - she became a widow a few years after her marriage with my grandpa. She did not remarry as she was too busy working. Mama had to take care of the three kids (one son and two daughters) on her own. She slogged a lot just so that her kids were fed enough.

Mama now only has one of her children left - my mum. Her son died when he was a young man due to an illness; her daughter passed away in 1996 because of cancer. Having two of her children gone before her had been devastating for mama but I am thankful to God for His wonderful plan.

It was after my aunty passed away that mama decided to turn her life to Christ. I was ministering to my aunty during her last days and there was this one day she decided to accept Jesus as her Lord and Saviour. When mama saw how her child decided to give her life to Christ, she broke down. A few weeks after the funeral, she told me she wanted Jesus in her life too and I led her in the sinner's prayer.

Not too long later, my parents also became Christians.

Wow, I do not know why I decided to share so much about mama. I guess I need to give her all the credits she deserves!

Well, I will always praise the Lord for her. I confess sometimes I take her love and care for granted. I pray the Lord will teach me not to do that but to cherish her as much as possible while she is still here on earth.

Well, thanks be to God for all that He has done today.

"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." Acts 16:31

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