I originally posted this on November 27, 2006 – three days after the passing of my Grandmother, Janie Mary Hecht. She was beloved by all – she served 35 years teaching English to Chinese people at First Baptist Church, Dallas and many of those students found salvation in Jesus through her work. All that to say, I thought I’d re-hash what I read at her memorial service.
enjoy.
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Nanny’s Funeral
Growing up, there was nothing that I loved more than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich from Nanny. No, we were not wealthy enough to have an actual certified, endorsed, and paid “Nanny”… but for some odd reason that is what we called my Grandmother. Yes, I agree, it is an odd name for such an endearing role (that of being a Grand-mother) but interestingly enough it fit the bill.
She was perfect in every way. For instance: those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? The perfect amount of peanut butter combined with jelly on each slice of bread. Her home? We could never, and I mean never keep our shoes on inside the home, nor enter without washing our “dirty little hands,” nor touch any of the walls, nor wear our hats inside. Not that any of this was evil, or sadistic – but Nanny affirmed John Wesley’s saying, “cleanliness is next to godliness.” Her Bible? Well, it was perfect too. A while back, Granddaddy sought fit for him to purchase a new Bible for me. Granddaddy made sure to get me the right Bible – Nanny on the other hand made sure to give me a 3 x 5 index card and a red pencil of which to perfectly underline the Scriptures that I thought important as I read. She said a pen would bleed through the pages too easily, but a red pencil was precise enough not to. One day I snooped into the room where she did most of her Bible reading, and picked up her Bible, and there wasn’t a page in it that didn’t have some type of red marking in it… of course perfectly underlined. Sorry Nanny – I still use a 3 x 5 index card, but I’m guilty of using an ink pen.
Throughout the years I’ve loved visiting Nanny & Granddaddy’s home to inform Nanny that I’d driven up on my new motorcycle – only for her to just hem and haw at the fact that I hadn’t. I loved sitting in the chair where she did most of her Bible reading – and sensing the presence of God in that remote spot. I loved eating laughing cow cheese and triscuts at the kitchen table while she persistently asked when I would begin to use my napkin. I loved the fact that she corrected my English even when she was in the hospital. I loved the fact that while in that same hospital she asked if the Cowboys won – I never knew she was a closet Cowboy fan.
She was 82 – how quickly the days have flown by. November 12th came and I found myself sitting in the hospital room alone with Nanny. At about 11:42 PM there was this moment when Nanny was in excruciating pain and she began to pray. What a novel idea. But she wasn’t praying for herself. She wasn’t even crying for mercy. She was praying for me – that I would do well in ministry – that I would finish my studies – that I wouldn’t be distracted by her health problems. Imagine that. In her greatest time of need… she prays for me. Me! That’s the type of lady Nanny was.
All in all I’m thankful for Nanny. I think we all are.
Thankful for the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Thankful for her diligence in asking us to take off our shoes.
Thankful for her salvation.
You see, when her and Granddaddy moved to Dallas it wasn’t a question of where they would go to church – First Baptist Dallas. Upon her insisting that they join the church, Granddaddy was asked if he had a relationship with Jesus. He said he’d always gone to church, but that wasn’t the question. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? – no he said. Upon hearing that he had a meeting with W. A. Criswell and he bent his knee and received Christ into his life. This changed the history of our family – if it wasn’t for God redeeming Granddaddy we might not be here. Maybe the truer statement is that if Nanny had not insisted upon them attending First Dallas – we might not be here.
Thanks Nanny – I want to go where you’re at. And as Granddaddy would always say before they went to sleep, “I’ll see you in the morning.”
