Tomorrow, if she were living, would be my Nanoo's birthday. I am pretty sure she would have been 87. To anyone...and I do mean ANYONE...that knew her, loved her. She was known by all, loved by all. The span of her life, she did things that mattered. Nothing was ever done half-heartedly. She put her all into it, and lived her life to the utter fullest. I don't really remember her being mean-spririted to anyone, and if she was...well, she just said what she thought and moved on. I learned so much for her, and yet if I become half the person she was, then that'll be just fine with me. I really do believe that I had the best example in her of what a Godly woman should be.
I used to spend the night with her a lot growing up. I always loved to go on Fridays because she watched Dallas and my parents would never allow me to watch that. I always felt that I was getting away with something watching that show with her, trying to figure out who shot JR, and hoping that one day I would grow up to look like Victoria Principal. We had so much fun on our little sleepovers. Usually we made Peanut Butter cookies or Chocolate Chip cookies, but eating the batter was the real treat. I am not sure how many cookies each recipe should've made, but most assuredly, we never had that many turn out. Were it not for the cookies, I plum near thought I would starve at Nanoo's house, though. Nanoo's and Papa's idea of a meal was number one...it started at 4:30 and number two...a pot of beans is a MEAL! What? What 10 year old eats beans anyway, but you ate what you were served at Nanoo's, and if you were lucky, she might let you have a frozen pizza, too! Wouldn't you know it now, though - I love beans for supper. There is nothing quite like it, with a good chunk of cornbread (although I don't eat my cornbread in buttermilk like Papa. I have a quick gag reflex over things like that and I think I'll just play it safe and not mess with seeing if it's working!)
I used to spend the night with her a lot growing up. I always loved to go on Fridays because she watched Dallas and my parents would never allow me to watch that. I always felt that I was getting away with something watching that show with her, trying to figure out who shot JR, and hoping that one day I would grow up to look like Victoria Principal. We had so much fun on our little sleepovers. Usually we made Peanut Butter cookies or Chocolate Chip cookies, but eating the batter was the real treat. I am not sure how many cookies each recipe should've made, but most assuredly, we never had that many turn out. Were it not for the cookies, I plum near thought I would starve at Nanoo's house, though. Nanoo's and Papa's idea of a meal was number one...it started at 4:30 and number two...a pot of beans is a MEAL! What? What 10 year old eats beans anyway, but you ate what you were served at Nanoo's, and if you were lucky, she might let you have a frozen pizza, too! Wouldn't you know it now, though - I love beans for supper. There is nothing quite like it, with a good chunk of cornbread (although I don't eat my cornbread in buttermilk like Papa. I have a quick gag reflex over things like that and I think I'll just play it safe and not mess with seeing if it's working!)
The memories at Nanoo's little yellow house are abundant, but the one I wouldn't trade for the world is hearing her pray after she had put me to bed each night. She would go back into her den and she would pray outloud. Now, Nanoo and Papa lived in an old mill village house and it was small, so you could hear everything. Nanoo would begin to pray and she wouldn't finish until she had prayed for everyone of us by name. Her prayers were uninhibited and bold. She prayed powerfully for family members to be saved, to return to the Lord, to live boldly for Him. She prayed for her Sunday School class. She taught every Sunday and she never took it lightly. She spent hours reading and studying, but most of all, asking God to fill her up so that she might teach His word effectively. We'll never know how many of those prayers were answered, and are still being answered to this day. I know the prayer of her heart that one of her children would serve on the foreign mission field came to be in the lives of my parents, but the aftereffects of that prayer is still being played out today as we have too many to count serving in full time ministry today, or again, too many to count serving faithfully as layleaders in their local church.
You know...never take for granted the wisdom and discernment of a simple, yet Godly woman, who just wanted to give the Lord her days - and not just her best days, but her worst ones, too. She had one mission, and that was to touch lives. Whether it be lead them to Christ, disciple them in the faith, or just to even speak words of encouragement, she lived out her life in obedience to all God asked of her.
I am passionate about seeing older women mentor younger women. Titus 2:2-4 directs the older women to teach the younger women a sound life in faith, doctrine, love and endurance. I don't know if you've looked around recently, ladies, but we are all older than somebody. We have the responsibility to pass it on to those behind us. We have a choice to do it half-heartedly, or we can do it like Nanoo and do it wholeheartedly. Maybe having a Nanoo like I did makes me want to lead well...I don't know. I do know that we can all be Nanoo and leave a legacy of faith and love so that one day our children's children are encouraging those behind them to do the same.
It's nice to remember Nanoo. I miss her, but I know she is not wasting time missing me. Rather she is singing a new song at the feet of Jesus today and hearing the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant...well done!" Yep Nanoo, yep...Well done!!
