By M.A.
I learned prayer from my maternal grandmother.
My grandmother had a 6th grade education, never left her birthplace, had a wonderful family, survived the great depression, a world war, and had gone blind in her early 20s. I was in my teens before I realized she was blind. I knew she could not see, but regarding her as blind, a word I associated with disability, never occurred to me. After all, she cooked the meals, sang songs, and ran the family budget. I asked her once why she handled the money instead of Grandpap. She laughed and said, "if he managed the money we would never have a savings." Then she gave me a lesson in mental math since of course she had no paper accounts.
I had the privilege of being her biographer and learning how she accomplished this with such grace. The answer was prayer. She prayed for a minimum of one hour a day, on her knees, her entire adult life. During those prayers she asked the Lord how to do what needed done.
She prayed and put out a stove fire before the fire department arrived.
She prayed and knew when her child needed a doctor.
She prayed and was a beloved wife.
She prayed and became an excellent cook.
In her mid-90’s, her son heard her moving about during the night. She was kneeling beside the bed at 4:00 am. Her son asked why she was up so early. She replied, "I thought it was morning so I was beginning my day." Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, family, and friends all learned to ask Grandma to pray for them. She prayed for us by name and often called to tell us the results of her prayers. She had a direct line to Heaven and shared it with anyone in need. When she died I felt a measure of virtue leave my life.
Her testimony was as an apostle has summarized: the gospel of Jesus Christ is beautifully simple and simply beautiful.
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