"But the Greatest of these is Love."

1 Corinthians 13:1-8;13
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I keep trying to study but unfortunately, my mind is anywhere but on my nursing notes. I know in the morning when I'm sitting in my exam I'll regret the time spent on this blog but I feel like its something thats on my heart that I have to get out. On Friday, my world got slightly flipped upside down. My plan was to have a relaxing weekend in Columbia with friends, something I haven't gotten to do in a while due to football season, nursing school, and all the other little things that make up my hectic life. God had other plans. On Friday morning my grandma fell and hit her head. She needed emergency surgery and even after the surgery, the doctors gave us little hope that she would ever wake up again. I spent most of the day Friday in tears and on my knees in prayer begging God to let me grandma be okay. She was the strong one. The one who for the last several years has spent her time caring for my granddad,  her husband of many years, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She was a constant in my life that never failed to offer a smile and some encouragement when I thought life was tough. She had come through so much adversity in her 87 years here that I felt like she could overcome anything. Thank goodness we serve a God who is outside the realms of medicine and what the human mind can even fathom.  Little by little my grandmother started doing the impossible. First, moving her hand, then nodding yes or no answers to questions and finally opening her eyes and even speaking! I had one of those moments where I thought "how can you not believe in a God". There is clearly something bigger at work here and in my opinion there are just some things that you simply cannot explain without God. Things have been up and down with my grandma since her fall Friday. There are times when the doctors give us nothing to be hopeful in but I constantly remind myself that she's a fighter and we can never count out the power of the One who conquered the grave. 


My grandma the fighter.
The miracle God worked is only a small part of the reason I wanted to write this blog. The main reason, and the reason for the title, has to do with one of the greatest love stories I've ever known. My grandma and grandaddy have been married for 68 years. For years and years at Christmas I watched my grandaddy call my grandma sweetheart and shower her with gifts. It 's amazing to see the way they are still in love after so many years. When my grandaddy got sick, it became my grandmas mission to take care of him. She didn't want help, some people say its because she was stubborn but I think its just because she loves him so much and didn't trust anyone else to take care of him. When she got hurt on Friday my grandaddy spent the whole night wandering the house like he was looking for her. They are so connected even after this long. I admire the love that they share. In a world where divorce is so common, its refreshing to see a perfect picture of the way a lasting marriage should be. "Till death do us part" is part of the vows that most people never make it to but one that has become a reality for my grandparents. My grandma is fighting. In my opinion, I think she doesn't want to leave my grandpa. For 68 years, she hasn't been separated from the love of her life and I think that's what is driving her right now. I hope anyone who reads this will be inspired by their love story and will join me in praying for my grandma, the fighter.