Jenifer Metzger : LESSONS FROM MAMAW

October 31st, as I was getting ready for church, my dad called. Mom was on the phone with the hospital. My Mamaw had just passed. My mind was swirling and my heart was racing.

My sweet Mamaw was gone.

While my heart is aching so very badly, I know without a doubt where Mamaw is. She has moved into Heaven with Jesus and Papa. Mamaw and Papa are once again holding hands, both pain free.

I consider myself blessed to have had a close relationship with my grandparents and to have spent so much time with them throughout my life. I have many dear memories I hold tightly to. But I also have great lessons learned. I learned many great lessons from my Papa. And I have learned many great lessons from Mamaw.

1. Put God first. Just like Papa, Mamaw loved God with her whole heart. She served Him and lived for Him every day. Mamaw loved studying the Bible. She often called my mom to discuss the Bible or ask questions about things she read in the Bible. Mamaw loved to pray. She always ended her prayers with, "In Thy Son Jesus Christ precious name, amen." God was first in her life.

2. Marriage is second. Mamaw loved Papa and took good care of him, putting him second only to God. I remember her making his work lunch every day, two sandwiches and an orange every day. She prepared his thermos for coffee. She had dinner ready every night. She lovingly did his laundry. Taking care of Papa was an honor for her. Papa used to call Mamaw on his lunch break at work. For thirty or so minutes she would sit at the table and talk to him on the phone, listening to all his stories, laughing at all his jokes. For that short period of time, everything else stopped so she could talk to him. It always made me think of a young couple in love. And mercy they were in love.

3. Family next. Mamaw loved her family. Her husband, her daughter, her son, their spouses, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren, and her great-great-grandson. Family mattered to Mamaw. When my daughter was leaving for college, I was a mess. I needed Mamaw and she came. Holding her hand helped me feel at peace. As a child, I never remember Mamaw saying I couldn't come over. She loved having her grandchildren around.

4. Relax. Mamaw loved to watch birds. She could sit at the kitchen table and watch the birds come to her bird feeders for hours. To some, that may seem like a waste of time or even boring. But sometimes we need to be bored. Sometimes we need to just sit and be still for a little while. Relaxing is important.

These are all lessons we can learn from. Putting God first in our lives, making our spouses a priority, making our families matter, and taking time to relax. Let's be more like Mamaw.