Comfort Courage Hope

What visits with Grandma taught me about the power of connection

School days were hectic for our family back then, with four kids all involved in sports, but our Wednesdays were sacred. We had to stay after school for practices or games every other day of the week, but on Wednesdays, no sports teams had practices or games. We looked forward to Wednesday every single week. When it came around, Mom would pick us up from school, drop off our friends who carpooled with us, and head to one of our favorite places:  my grandma’s house. 

She would be waiting inside the old yellow farmhouse with green shutters and would greet us at the screen door with hugs and smiles and welcome us as if we were the most important part of her day. We would all gather around her old kitchen table, where she would serve us her homemade Chex mix (nothing but Chex – butter, garlic salt, and Worcestershire sauce doubled, served warm), along with Crunchy Cheetos, Fudge Sticks, and all the Pepsi we could drink. (We didn’t keep soda at home, so this was our weekly chance to really splurge!)

“So, tell me something wonderful!” Grandma would begin, eyes twinkling, just waiting for our answers. And we would oblige. 

“I got an A on my English test today!” 

“The cat had kittens – again!”

“Eddie asked me out!”

“Lyndie fell in front of our hot new assistant basketball coach!”

No matter what we told her, Grandma listened as if we were sharing the most intriguing tale she’d ever heard. And so we continued taking turns telling her and Mom all about our days and weeks, our friends and crushes, our hopes and dreams. And the snacks flowed as bountifully as the conversation until it was time to go home. 

Then we’d pile back into the family van, bellies and hearts full, ready to face the rest of the week, with its sports and friendship drama and homework. And already looking forward to next Wednesday, when we’d feast yet again – on yummy snacks, but even more importantly, on the love of belonging and feeling treasured.

When our dad arrived home from work on Wednesday nights, he would be able to tell that we’d been at Grandma’s house, partly because we ate less for dinner, but even more so because we had stories and jokes she had told us that we wanted to share with him. Clearly, we had enjoyed ourselves and wanted to spread that good cheer to him.

I thought of these special Wednesday memories of long ago because our family is reading through the book of Acts this month, and Acts 4:13 says, When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Acts is such an exciting book because we see how God empowers these ordinary men with the Holy Spirit, and we see them stepping up with courage and wisdom. They give impassioned speeches to those who want to cause them harm and are willing to sacrifice various comforts, not to mention even their very lives, for the cause of Christ and the gospel.

And I love this verse because it really shows us that when any of us has been with Jesus, others should be able to tell. I know with Peter and John specifically, they had literally been with Jesus and had studied at His feet for His earthly ministry. So they would have taken on even some of His mannerisms – maybe the way He emphasized certain words or gestured with His hands when sharing something that was important to Him. 

But even we who haven’t actually seen Jesus physically are changed when we spend time reading the Bible and meditating on it, praying for the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us to apply the truths found in Scripture to our lives. We don’t read the Bible and pray in order to check it off of our to-do list for the day. No, we do it to connect with a God who is mighty, a God who is able, a God who comes alongside us and gives strength, courage, wisdom, hope, and joy to us as we go throughout our days.

There’s something to be said for the power of connection, whether we’re connecting with God or with other people. What we were doing at Grandma’s wasn’t just about snacks. It was about three different generations coming together and connecting. Whether we were discussing spiritual matters, current events, or telling jokes, we were connecting in meaningful ways. 

And this connection changed us – it grew us, it taught us how to process life with others, how to both talk and listen well. We left happy, not just because of a sugar high, but more because we had felt heard and supported. After spending time with her and Mom, we knew the dramas that seemed larger than life today would fade as tomorrow’s challenges came into view. We also learned that when we share our stories with others, our sorrows are halved and our joys are multiplied.

There’s one more part to this thought:  how do people feel after they’ve spent time with you? With me? Do they leave feeling lighter than before or more burdened? What kind of attitudes do you and I carry around and thus pass on to others who spend time with us? It’s a thought worth considering as we strive to live lives of meaningful connection with others. 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

Back To Top