The Grandmother’s Clock

So, “chime” away, dear grandparents! Be bold! Speak up to your grown children and grandchildren…Remember the Grandmother’s Clock. Be gentle in your chiming! And at times, strike when you feel that tugging in your heart.

When I was a teenager, I remember my dad coming home from his annual business trip to New York City. We were excited for Daddy to come home  —  especially when he had been to “The Big Apple!”  He always brought us wonderful gifts. This particular year he brought a very special item to our family -a Grandmother’s Clock!

Now, a Grandmother’s Clock is just like a Grandfather’s Clock but it is smaller in form. This clock fit beautifully into our small foyer. I remember going to bed that night as Daddy (and Mother, too!) were carefully hanging the pendulum and the weights. Going to sleep, I could hear the gentle chimes ringing out for the first time.  How precious those musical notes became to this youthful girl. Soft and steady, the chimes bellowed throughout my youth and adult years. These sweet sounds became part of a rich heritage passed onto me.

Years later, I remember those testimonial sounds chiming in my mother’s condo. A grandmother now, she welcomed my growing family into her home. As we would enter, I once again heard the ticking and chiming of our old grandmother’s clock. Again, the assurance of her faithfulness flooded my being. And the legacy of these two grandmothers deepened.

Today this Grandmother’s Clock stands strong and tall in my home! Recently, I awoke during the night. As I wrestled to return to sleep, I heard those familiar chimes ring in the darkness.And once again, I was reminded of the rock-solidness of this grand ole clock throughout the years. Joy and peace vibrate within these sounds. It is like being cradled in the long arms of my mother and father — earthly and heavenly. As the clock chimes in my ear, there is also a parallel beating in my heart. Life in this turbulent world can be safe as we tune our ear to the true Voice of the Lord.

Now this legacy continues- Isn’t the role of a grandmother similar to this grand clock? God planned years ago for grandparents to be a significant, foundational part of the family. Yet today’s world communicates to us that this “grand” role diminishes with time. Not so! God has called this “golden generation” to be a steady, calm voice in a tumultuous, noisy world! Based on God’s Word and using our life’s experiences, we can give a perspective to day-to-day issues that parents and children sometimes struggle to see. This is our legacy to pass on.

So, “chime” away, dear grandparents! Be bold! Speak up to your grown children and grandchildren. As long as there is breath within you, you have a God-given voice that needs to be heard by the following generations!  Remember the Grandmother’s Clock. Be gentle in your chiming! And at times, strike when you feel that tugging in your heart. You have a rich heritage to pass on that is worth more than multiple bags of gold! If you do so, your children, grandchildren and their children will rise up and call you blessed!

Nina