Cheryl Mendoza

For a long time, I regretted that I did not talk to my great grandmother about her life.  She was 99 years old when she passed away, and while  alzheimers ate away at the last few years of her life, I still had plenty of opportunity to talk to her.   The thought that this sweet lady would have firsthand accounts of history never even occurred to me.

I have thought about this regret at various times in my life, and it typically makes me pretty sad.  Her birthday is St Patricks day, so thoughts of her came to mind again.  This year though, I found that my perspective had changed.  You see, what I finally realized was what she did teach me was worth much more than what she didn’t.  It was pretty funny, because I have always known what an example of love she was to all who knew her.  This year though, I realized why everyone loved her so much.  Well, it was because she loved us!   Warts and all!   She loved us all so much, that we couldn’t help but love her back!

It reminded me so much of how God loves us.  A love that is so good that we cannot help but love Him back.  It was so funny because it was the first time that I had ever thought of her in this way.  It also made me wonder, if God’s love is that kind of love, which I know it is, how do so many people resist it?  As a child, I could not resist Him.  How can other people?  Well, I gotta ask myself, “Is it me?”

“Good News, Great Joy, All People”, this is my motto for the year.  I realize now that this is how my great grandmother lived.  She knew Jesus, and she brought that joy wherever she went.  The “all people” part?  Well she was all over that.  We are no angels, my family.  It did not matter though, as she loved us all anyway.  Is that how I love people?  I would like to say I am not sure, but I think that would be a lie.  I know I don’t.

So as I try and live out this motto, I feel like I have a good starting point.  I have a more contemporary example to follow and that helps.  Also, I figure that if God is bringing my thoughts in this direction, He is going to be there to help me get it right.