Every month, we want to acknowledge a person or group of people that have been influential in our lives. Since this is the first one, we want to acknowledge our grandmother, Felicity Chitan. As the single living grandparent we have, we figure we might as well start there.
Growing up, we spent a great deal of time with our grandmother. From attending church to spending holidays together, from staying with her when our parents had business to tend to, to taking her on trips with us when we started singing, she has been an active and loved person of our lives.
A lot of our Biblical knowledge when we were younger came from our parents and our grandmother. Granny was a very spiritual person. She loved to read her Bible. She would actively take part in learning her Morning Watch for AY. While memorizing the text for that day, she would teach it to us as well.
She also loved to sing. She used to teach us little songs that would help us grow as Christians. Off the top of my head, I can remember two particular songs: one song taught the books of the Bible and the other was the story of Adam and Eve and the Fall.
One thing my granny did consistently was pray. Whenever we stayed by her, she’d round us all up and pray with us before bed. When Granny prayed, she prayed for everyone of her children and their families, her siblings and their families, other relatives and their families and for all her friends. She would pray for those who were nice to her and for those who were not.
When it came to our singing, in modern youth terms, I would say Granny was the OG #1 supporter. Her encouragement wasn’t a duty, but a genuine prayer for us to do well and continue. She would tell us, “If you see me do like this,” she’d shake her ear with her hand, “that means I can’t hear you, so sing a little louder, because I want to hear you.” When she said she was proud of us, we knew she meant it.
To be honest, I can go on for days about how great my grandmother was and how much she loved us, but we don’t have that much time…or space. I believe I can say that we are grateful for the time we’ve had with her when she was in good health and still have when we visit her.
Since 2015, she hasn’t been able to speak nor walk by herself, but her songs and words remain with us. Whenever I’m looking for a book in the New Testament, I still sing the song in my head. On days when I feel like giving up, I still remember how proud she is of me and the expectations she has for me. There are days when I wish I could share the things on my heart and hear what she has to say, but I hold onto the principles and experiences she’s shared. And if it’s one thing she’s taught us, is that we can still smile in spite of the heartaches of life.
Today we honour a woman who has dedicated tremendously to our lives and ministry. We are forever grateful for the time when she was well and for the opportunity to still have her here with us.
