Expressions of Service Among Other Things… My Grandmother Mary taught me how to use the gift of my hands to serve others. How to give to others with my actions- using ACTS OF SERVICE. She taught me how to love my family extravagantly. How did she do it? By living her actions OUT-LOUD in her everyday life!
Coincidentally, my Grandma looked a little like Mary See’s, or at least that’s what I thought.
Steps of Kindness
She had a kindness about her; some would say it was her countenance. She would call me honey, but it sounded like hun-eem with her thick Armenian accent. She was also light-hearted when she called me chish-lon (pee-pee pants). It might sound odd, but she meant it to be endearing; I loved it. Her fridge was almost always stocked with homemade rice pudding to show kindness with her cooking to anyone who stopped by.
Acts of Service
Each time I visited my grandparents as a little girl, I could see how my grandmother lived her love out loud with Expressions of Service, among other things. You could hear it in her conversations and taste it in her #Armenian food. It was an unspoken language delivered with words of encouragement! This scripture was a motto hanging on a wall in her home; she cherished opportunities to serve anyone she could.
But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15b
The Warmth Felt in her Kitchen
Three sorts of funny memories stick out to me, and all include the warmth felt by her in the kitchen. The first is how I learned to drink coffee as a little girl from going to her house. Grandma’s coffee always included lots of milk and sugar. I couldn’t drink it any other way until very recently, which is funny/not funny.
The second memory is a bowl of stale lays potatoes chips that always seemed to be in the same wooden bowl in the same spot on her counter. I counted on those being there every time. Almost like they were waiting for an old friend.
The third memory is the jack cheese that would be sitting in the middle of her kitchen table. Each time I saw that cheese, I had a slice until I remembered why I only ate one piece. Although it was heavily salted as a preservative, it was hard to pass up. She made it that way for my grandfather.
The Gift of Hospitality
Joshua 24:15 wasn’t just a motto in my grandparent’s home; it was how they both lived their lives. If someone they knew had a need, they found a way to help out. For example, when the whole family came for holidays, my grandmother never seemed to sit down after serving everyone their meal. Instead, she seemed to hover over her family like a mother bird, ensuring everyone had what they needed. She did it by using her GIFT OF HOSPITALITY. It was effortless for her, and it poured out of her like little beads of oil soothing everything that came across its path.
Be Intentional
Another thing my grandmother did was to live life intentionally with her Expressions of Service. She loved the Lord and made sure that the moments in her day counted. Whether she was on her knees praying for someone she loved or sharing her bible with a friend, there was a manner of intention in her movements.
As I am thinking about her today, I pray that God shows me how to serve and love others as well as she did. That God will give me the gracious gift of hospitality so others feel welcome in my home. I am praying that for you too!
