No, the title isn’t about babysitting time while their parents are out shopping, but the ages of my five granddaughters at the time it happened. The one-year-old has no memory of Nama but will learn about her through pictures and hearing stories. The older ones remember her, although their memories of her are likely to fade over time.
As little girls, they looked forward to their grandma’s visits because they could always count on her to bring fake fingernails or other girly things from Dollar Tree. Those were ways she said, “I love you.” But the girls weren’t old enough yet to know the depths of Jasmine’s soul. She had so much more to give and wanted to help them grow into godly women. Was there a way I could somehow preserve their memories and her influence on them? Yes, there was.
I didn’t know what it would take to write a book, and I knew even less about publishing, marketing, or “getting my name out there.” Would investing time and energy be worthwhile? I could start and see where it might take me, but I’d need a reason to keep me motivated; I had five reasons.
They were my target audience for writing my memoir, What Now, God? The book wasn’t only about my experiences through Jasmine’s illness and the aftermath of moving forward. It also described how her life was an outpouring of her love for God. While writing, I didn’t envision them as being one to five, but as adolescents on the road to becoming young women, learning more about their grandma. Nama wasn’t only fun. She was someone they could grow to emulate, a role model of living for God.
I had another target audience. There’s nothing as shattering as losing a spouse, except possibly losing a young child. I shared my journey to encourage fellow travelers that even though loss leaves a void, it’s not the end. God fills the void by leading us on a path that expands and enriches our capacity to experience the fullness of our relationship with Him. Life may be taken from us, but in turn, we can become those who impart life—the life of Christ.
Stop and Consider.
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