Have you ever been loved? I mean like LOVED! Every single empty space inside you just shifts and fills up with this amazing feeling of being loved. Well I have and I want to share some of this love story with you.

I recently returned home from seeing my family in Kentucky. I had such an amazing time and made so many memories that I treasure. This got me to thinking about my family. I have a huge family. My dad was one of 11 children. They all went on to have families of their own and now those kids are making families of their own. I know, that’s what usually happens, but it is on such a large-scale that there are people I have never met. And that seems unacceptable to me. But it is true. I will work on that 🙂 All of these people from literally all over the country come together usually the second weekend in July. The reason we do this is because of love. The person who taught us the most about this love was my Granny.

Her name was Artie Chester Boggs. She was named for her daddy, whom she never got to meet because he passed away before she was born. But she bore his name, and in growing up with this loss, it shaped the way she cared for people and loved them. I never, ever knew her to turn anyone away from her table. If you were there when she was eating, you were just expected to sit down and eat. When I was a kid we traveled all the time and she would worry so much. This was way before cell phones and we would only get to call her every so often to check in. We would never tell her when we were travelling because we didn’t want to worry her. We would just show up for a visit when we could.  God, I remember those times. We would pull up into the yard and just hear screaming. She would be crying, telling us she loved us, and scolding my Dad for not telling her we were coming all at the same time. It was a sight to behold. She loved. Deep. In such a complete way, you just knew your worth to her. You didn’t have to try to be loveable, she just loved you where you were. Now that is something special.

Her life was poured out into her family and she was so proud of every single one of us. Our accomplishments were hers, our heartaches were hers. I have so many memories of laying across her bed listening to her read scriptures to me and hearing her pray. She prayed a lot. There was a lot of us to pray for and she took it very seriously 🙂 She would always tell me “Abby Gayle, always do your best to help folks when they need it. That way when you go out into the world someone will always be there for you. Sow good seeds”. There have been so many times that I needed help and I remembered her words and know beyond a doubt that I benefited from her goodwill and prayers. Every time I roll down the window or pull over and talk to someone who needs help I think of her. I am silently saying “Granny, I’m sowing seeds. I listened.”

Her love is so big and real it is still quite painful to even go to her house. I never go there and pull up in the yard that I don’t have to remind myself, “She’s not here. She’s not going to be standing on the porch crying because she is so happy”. And while that is true, her legacy of love is still living in each of us. We live it out each day when we care for each other, love on each other and take care of our families. If you think about it, her love and prayers are so far-reaching. They reach into Wyoming, Kentucky, Missouri, Oregon, Alaska just to name a few. Most recently her love and prayers have taken a very long trip. Her covenant before God to love her family and pray for them is serving time in Afghanistan right alongside Chance Phillip Roark. Those prayers whisper in the wind and into his heart, “Don’t turn there” “Watch that one” or “We are here, no matter what Chance we will be here forever”. She is a timeless treasure that continues to pour into our lives for eternity.

This year as a gift to all her kids Aunt Robin had bread boards made that have a recipe on them. It is in Granny’s handwriting and has her signature. Just one look at that familiar script completely wrecked me. And I know it did others too because several of us couldn’t even speak over the lumps in our throat. What could do this to you so many years later? Love. The kind that fills all those empty spaces and smoothes rough dry edges. The kind of love that brings us together, gives us unity and is worthy of forgiveness. The kind of love that extends grace instead of judgement. The kind that prefers others and doesn’t seek its own way.

So, because we have been given this love, and because we know her heart, we know where this love is from. Granny was tangible evidence of God’s love to us. She lived it out every single time she prayed, cooked, went to a graduation, sent a card to you. She was love in action. An awesome example of Christ’s love for us. Because of this love, may I ask you these questions? Who do you love? How are you showing that love? Do you love your people with reckless abandon? I promise you will never regret loving someone too much. When it comes time for you to be with Jesus, will just the sight of your handwriting bring others closer to Him? Will your name on their lips bring His presence into wherever you are? Because it can. I choose this way to honor her and her life. She is love.