Happy Birthday Grandma Carden

Michael E. Wood
February 12, 2011

On January 13, 2006, upon arriving in North Carolina on a bus, my grandmother Blanche was there to pick me up. Upon the godly advice of Pastor Bill Russel and my good friend David Coulter (who is now with the Lord) I had left Arkansas for what I thought at the time to be an extended visit and to be a help to my sister Tina with her husband Jerry. After a couple of days visiting with grandma and my mother, I moved in with Tina and Jerry.

His health had been declining rapidly, and I would stay with him during the day so that Tina could maintain her regular work schedule. Jerry and I had numerous conversations about general things, and of Christ, and one occasion he said to me, “I just don’t understand what is happening to me.” Upon that statement, I said to him, “I think the Lord is preparing you to meet Him.” With Jerry being a retired Police officer, the chaplain from the department would also make visits and speak to him of Christ and eternity. In just over a month after my arrival, Jerry was moved to the hospice house and within a few days he was gone. The Chaplin, whose name I do not remember, preached clearly the gospel of Christ at the funeral. As he spoke of Jerry, he quoted him as saying in his last days, “I know that I’m a sinner, and I know that I’m forgiven. I’m just not sure why.” It is believed that the last statement made was in reference to the enormity of the mercy that had been shown to him in those last days. The great Puritan Thomas Watson said, “It is one thing to be pardoned and another to feel it… the soul may be so stricken with admiration that the wonder of pardon staggers its faith.” And thus we trust the Great God and Judge of all the earth will do right.

Upon Jerry’s departure I moved in with grandma, still not knowing how long I would be in North Carolina. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and months turned to years. We were given a very precious season of sharing together in the things of Christ. After a few short months, I became a member of Beacon Baptist Church where she has been a member for nearly thirty-seven years. Daily devotions together in the Word of God, and times of prayer and praise were sweet.

As I think back, there were a few occasions of which our relationship was tested in understanding one another. On one of these, I had confronted my uncle, who was also her youngest son, concerning a certain matter, of which he called and told her of. When she got off of the phone with him she said to me, “I picked you up at the bus station and I can certainly take you back.” I cannot help but smile as I think of how gracious the Lord was to show Himself true, and to make us laugh together over the matter several months later.

One day as I prepared to go to work at Cracker Barrel, I checked on her before leaving out, as she had not gotten up as of yet. When I knocked on her bedroom door, I said, “Grandma, are you O.K.?” To which she responded in a rather weak voice, “No I’m not!”
I said, “What’s the matter?” She said “I’m sick”. Immediately I called mom, who lived across the field. Mom was there within a few minutes, and together we got grandma into the car. Mom being an R.N., took grandma to her own house to watch over her for a few days. After a doctors appointment, it was determined that grandma needed a blood transfusion, but grandma said, “If the Lord is ready to take me, than I am ready to go!” Hospice was called in, with the expectation that grandma had but a short time to live.

Day after day went by, and to the amazement of the doctors and everyone else, grandma began to recover. After about eight months, she was doing so well she was moved to the Spring View Assisted Living facility in Graham. Eventually, even the hospice nurses were told their assistance was no longer needed at this time.

On May 18, 2010, Dianna and I were blessed of the Lord to be married, with grandma sitting on the front row, as the dining room at Spring View had been transformed into a little chapel for the occasion. Having moved to California, it is my pleasure to check up on grandma from time to time, and with sweet thoughts of her turning 91 on February 12, 2011, the following poem came to mind of which Dianna made us a homemade card to send to her for such a time as this.

A Birthday Poem for My Grandma

At ninety-one your faith is strong,
And look to Christ, for Whom you long.
For as your days flow quickly by,
You’ve learned to stand in Him Who’s nigh.

For He alone has carried you
From birth to glory to be new.
Revealed by God through Sovereign grace
To look to Christ; His smiling face.

We thank you that for us you’ve prayed
That we might learn from Christ Who paid
And bore our sins on Calvary’s cross,
To count all things of earth as loss.

For as you read His Word and fear it,
God does attend then by His Spirit,
That to us His love and will be known
That He is God and God alone!

For He is worthy of our worship
As the Father of our fellowship,
And Jesus Christ His precious Son
Who by His blood has made us one.

So now rejoice in this new year
He’s given you to walk in fear,
For in His fear true wisdom reigns
And only that of Christ remains.

Abiding in His perfect love
Until He calls us home above,
And all creation shall proclaim
There’s no other name like Jesus’ Name!