The third Mrs. G…
My Third Mrs. G.
My first impression of her was not as warm and welcoming as some… perhaps more along the line of intimidating :). I'm not sure if it was that was because I sensed something or sensed something that wasn't there :). I was a teen with an attitude toward Baptists, getting ready to visit a Baptist church… she may have not been too excited to be giving me a ride to church for a number of reasons. Like she worked with teens and could spot an attitude a mile away, and she didn't care to deal with attitude-even when she had to lol. Or maybe she hadn't been informed that the lady we were invited by was bringing two extra people with her that morning. And maybe, just maybe I took her quietness personally and she was glad to see visitors, but just didn't talk much. Or maybe a combination of all three, or maybe something totally different…
I don't think it took long for me to see someone I liked in Mrs. G. She was obviously real-she was what she was and if you didn't like it, sorry, but not changing to please you :), she was no-nonsense… and it wasn't long before I noticed she was friendly, smiled often and even seemed glad to see us at church…
The more I got to know her the more convinced I was I wanted to grow-up to be her lol.
She was faithful to be at church all the time, she was in the choir (and joined two or three others in encouraging me to be in the choir too), and at every everything that the church had she was behind the scenes helping.
I spent many hours on the phone with her, too. Nearly everyday for quite a while. JT and I would "pester and annoy" her to the best of our ability every time we were at church. We even went to their house many times for the same reason :). Mr. G taught me how to argue nothing… "if you can't convince them, confuse them" is an art to learn, and a skill that comes in handy from time to time :)
J and I teased Mrs. G a lot. We teased her for marrying a man 10 years older than she is. She told us,"if you marry a man ten or more years older than yourself, then you'll never be old."- makes sense. We followed that advice :)
I couldn't understand how it was possible to live without a TV, but they did, quite happily. After tasting the bliss of TV-free silence, I completely understand and have that desire for our home too.
She was always getting Mr. G a cup of hot tea, another thing we thought was silly… he is a full-grown able-bodied man, let him get his own tea! (that's what I was taught to think anyway)… I understand better now :)
When I decided to not return to YV and had written to tell them (like everybody else) that I wouldn't be returning as I had planned, she wrote me back (she had the IN address) and encouraged me to return home. She knew home was bad and I needed/wanted out, but she also knew the business I was working for in IN had bounced two if my paychecks (in less than 8 weeks), and she didn't see the wisdom in staying… I had no job, no church, no place to live…
So, I called her and let her know where I was going and how things had unfolded… by the time we finished she was supportive… perhaps concerned, but she understood…
After I got to Oregon, I kept in touch with Mr. & Mrs. G. When I called and told them about my stepfather, she said she wasn't surprised…
When Brad and I got married Mrs. G, was my matron of honor. I was so excited, and amazed that they would come all the way here for me and my wedding!
When we helped my mother move, Mr. & Mrs. G let us stay with them and he even came over and helped us pack and clean the house (he later told Mrs. G. he thought we were exaggerating about the mess, but we weren't!). They also strongly urged me to not stay with my mother and grandmother over my first wedding anniversary and let my husband go home without me…
I already shared the adventure with my grandmother that was sort if a "lightbulb moment". After that experience (and even more so now), I was able to see how much of a mom-type role she had played in my life.
She demonstrated to me faithfulness to God and loyalty to friends. I have seen her love her husband and have learned from her that it's the little things everyday that matter. She is teaching me to love my kids (I get her opinions and advice every week). I have watched (and experienced) her be a faithful and compassionate friend.
She has lived Titus 2:3-5 before me for over 17 years! Perfectly? No, but I can see Christ in her working through her, teaching her and me and others around her. She is not my mom, but I call her my mom-type-person, because she is the example God has placed in my life, in that role, for me to follow, and I believe that to be a testimony to His goodness and grace.
She loves me. She loves my husband and our children. And we are so blessed to have her…
I guess we can't always trust our first impressions.
;-)
My first impression of her was not as warm and welcoming as some… perhaps more along the line of intimidating :). I'm not sure if it was that was because I sensed something or sensed something that wasn't there :). I was a teen with an attitude toward Baptists, getting ready to visit a Baptist church… she may have not been too excited to be giving me a ride to church for a number of reasons. Like she worked with teens and could spot an attitude a mile away, and she didn't care to deal with attitude-even when she had to lol. Or maybe she hadn't been informed that the lady we were invited by was bringing two extra people with her that morning. And maybe, just maybe I took her quietness personally and she was glad to see visitors, but just didn't talk much. Or maybe a combination of all three, or maybe something totally different…
I don't think it took long for me to see someone I liked in Mrs. G. She was obviously real-she was what she was and if you didn't like it, sorry, but not changing to please you :), she was no-nonsense… and it wasn't long before I noticed she was friendly, smiled often and even seemed glad to see us at church…
The more I got to know her the more convinced I was I wanted to grow-up to be her lol.
She was faithful to be at church all the time, she was in the choir (and joined two or three others in encouraging me to be in the choir too), and at every everything that the church had she was behind the scenes helping.
I spent many hours on the phone with her, too. Nearly everyday for quite a while. JT and I would "pester and annoy" her to the best of our ability every time we were at church. We even went to their house many times for the same reason :). Mr. G taught me how to argue nothing… "if you can't convince them, confuse them" is an art to learn, and a skill that comes in handy from time to time :)
J and I teased Mrs. G a lot. We teased her for marrying a man 10 years older than she is. She told us,"if you marry a man ten or more years older than yourself, then you'll never be old."- makes sense. We followed that advice :)
I couldn't understand how it was possible to live without a TV, but they did, quite happily. After tasting the bliss of TV-free silence, I completely understand and have that desire for our home too.
She was always getting Mr. G a cup of hot tea, another thing we thought was silly… he is a full-grown able-bodied man, let him get his own tea! (that's what I was taught to think anyway)… I understand better now :)
When I decided to not return to YV and had written to tell them (like everybody else) that I wouldn't be returning as I had planned, she wrote me back (she had the IN address) and encouraged me to return home. She knew home was bad and I needed/wanted out, but she also knew the business I was working for in IN had bounced two if my paychecks (in less than 8 weeks), and she didn't see the wisdom in staying… I had no job, no church, no place to live…
So, I called her and let her know where I was going and how things had unfolded… by the time we finished she was supportive… perhaps concerned, but she understood…
After I got to Oregon, I kept in touch with Mr. & Mrs. G. When I called and told them about my stepfather, she said she wasn't surprised…
When Brad and I got married Mrs. G, was my matron of honor. I was so excited, and amazed that they would come all the way here for me and my wedding!
When we helped my mother move, Mr. & Mrs. G let us stay with them and he even came over and helped us pack and clean the house (he later told Mrs. G. he thought we were exaggerating about the mess, but we weren't!). They also strongly urged me to not stay with my mother and grandmother over my first wedding anniversary and let my husband go home without me…
I already shared the adventure with my grandmother that was sort if a "lightbulb moment". After that experience (and even more so now), I was able to see how much of a mom-type role she had played in my life.
She demonstrated to me faithfulness to God and loyalty to friends. I have seen her love her husband and have learned from her that it's the little things everyday that matter. She is teaching me to love my kids (I get her opinions and advice every week). I have watched (and experienced) her be a faithful and compassionate friend.
She has lived Titus 2:3-5 before me for over 17 years! Perfectly? No, but I can see Christ in her working through her, teaching her and me and others around her. She is not my mom, but I call her my mom-type-person, because she is the example God has placed in my life, in that role, for me to follow, and I believe that to be a testimony to His goodness and grace.
She loves me. She loves my husband and our children. And we are so blessed to have her…
I guess we can't always trust our first impressions.
;-)
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