30 Days of Thanksgiving, Day 12

Today I am thankful for my grandparents: Carlton and Iva (Guernsey) Shaver on my mother's side of the family, and Milton Willard and Lucille (Davies) Ashley on my father's side of the family.

My "Grampy", Carlton Shaver, was a farmer and a postal carrier, but more than that, he was a Giant among men in his community. He was beloved by all in the area. I loved to sit near him as a little boy (on his lap if I was quick enough) and tell stories about fishing, about hunting, about snowstorms, about delivering Christmas packages after hours on Christmas Eve, or just about anything else. He was quick with his laugh, and when he laughed, the earth shook in laughter around him. I loved my Grampy, and to this day I carry his name proudly, for my parents gave me his name, Carlton, as my middle name.

Grandma and Grandpa Ashley were made of different "stuff." Grandpa A. was retired from IBM already when I became aware of what he did, or used to do, for a living. He had many small tools, probably because he worked on fine machinery. He was a meticulously neat and organized person. I remember going through his things after he died, and coming across a cigar box carefully labeled: "pieces of string too short to keep." Sure enough, the cigar box was full of short pieces of string, that evidently were NOT, in fact, TOO short to keep.

It is Grandma Ashley, though, that was in my mind the more remarkable of the Ashley grandparents. She was stern and sharp-tongued, but her Welsh heart was full of love for me and the rest of her 13 grandchildren. She was a praying woman, and I know that she prayed for me every day (probably at the precise same time each day!) even as I finished college and entered the ministry.

Though all four of my grandparents are with the Lord now and inaccessible to me, I still think of them often. Something will remind me of one of Grampy Shaver's stories, or a life lesson he taught me. Something else will trigger a memory of Grandma Ashley and her labors in prayer. Whatever it is that brings back to my mind thoughts of my wonderful grandparents, I always am willing to linger a moment on the memory, and in my heart, I smile and give thanks.