One Turned Back: Grace Carlson

I’ve decided to name this endeavor of grateful reflection, One Turned Back. In Luke 17, Jesus healed ten lepers and one returned to glorify God. This pesky scripture has been hounding my heart; will I be someone who recognizes that my good gifts come from God or will I just keep going on with my day? Most of my good gifts are people and relationships.

Today I want to recognize the gift God gave me in Grace Carlson.

When I got up this morning, I saw Eli snuggled on the couch under the beautiful blanket that Nanny knit for us. When we had visited a few years ago, we picked out a few skeins of yarn so that she could knit. She had just knit a handmade pair of mittens for an entire classroom of students. She took this gift and added her time, many more skeins of yarn, and skill and returned it to me. No longer a ball of string, but a family heirloom to be treasured. This seems emblematic of Nanny. What she is given, she lovingly enhances, and gives back to the givers.

I hear the stories of her faithful service to her family: the handmade cinnamon rolls, the spotless home, and the many prayers. I see the pictures of Easter hat competitions, family gatherings with China that had to be washed by someone, and all her children and grandchildren. I’ve experienced her joy at sitting in the sand with her great-grandchildren, sneaking to Byerly’s to buy fresh pears for a lovely salad, and talking about how she painted the toilet seat at church.

She is an example of the faithful servant who had ten talents, invested them well, and was meet with ten more. She loves her children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren well. And her love was invested well and multiplied. I am one of her add-on grandchildren, yet I am so blessed to call her Nanny.