“Can I have a cookie?”
“May I have a cookie?” she corrected. “Yes, dear, but only one.”
We knew right where they were. On the bottom shelf of Grandma’s free-standing cupboard in the kitchen, in a chipped, enamelware tin, we’d find them. Most often, they were the simple, store-bought variety, and (wise Grandma) so difficult to sneak, with the metal lid clanging as we’d reach in to take one.
Though not homemade, Grandma’s cookies were delicious, especially when washed down with cold milk. Over the years, no matter how much my sister and I grew, blossoming from little girls to young women, we could count on cookies in that simple-though-sturdy tin.
And in a world with so much change, such was a reassurance. After all, though its outward appearance wasn’t special, Grandma’s cookie box held promise. What was on the inside mattered most. Much like Grandma. With only an eighth-grade education, my father’s mother—this petite woman wearing handmade dresses, dark stockings, and braided hair in a bun—was wise.
Was it the decades she’d lived? The numerous books she’d read? Perhaps. But more, I believe her wisdom was the result of many hours in prayer and a daily diet of God’s Word, which she applied to real life once she’d risen from her knees.
Just like her enamelware cookie box, Grandma’s outward appearance wasn’t perfect or fancy in any way, but inside, she held a promise. The one who was faithful to fulfill His promises was home in her wise, though childlike heart.
Similar to the Proverbs 31 woman, the one we often read about, then wonder, How can I measure up—tending to the many needs of others while managing the affairs of my own family?
The secret? Like her, it’s in our reverence for and worship of the Lord.
And that, friends, makes the difference. In our worship and reverence, we can each offer the world the promise of our Savior.
Are you sharing what matters most with the world? If not, think of something you can change.
Maureen Miller lives and loves on Selah Farm—a hobby homestead nestled in the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina. With Bill, her husband of thirty-one years, and their three "born-in-their-hearts" children, they raise a variety of animals. Maureen loves books, movies, and music that make her cry. She asks daily to have eyes and ears wide open that she might experience the wonders of God's Word and His created world. She blogs regularly at www.penningpansies.com about God’s extraordinary character, discovered in the ordinary of life. Taking Spirit-breathed ideas and framing them with words is her passion. Living Jesus is her highest aim.