LITMIR.BIZ

      It was actually a great thing. The next several days were so much fun. My family was rejuvenated, we laughed through our tears. Her friends came by and told stories that confirmed my grandma was crazy. She was certainly one of a kind and would definitely be missed, but she knew the Lord and she knew where she was going and she was excited to get there. How could you not be happy? The day of the service Payton and I rode behind our parents.

      “I miss you, sis.” Understanding that life was precious and I couldn’t take it for granted, I added, “You alright up there in school?”

      “Tad and I got issues, women are crazy, the pledging thing is driving me nuts, and I miss my little brother too. I guess life is alright, right?” Payton asked. I nodded.

      Feeling like God wanted more from me, I scratched my head and asked, “How do you witness? It seems that telling people about God isn’t all that cool. I don’t want to push my beliefs on anybody. But with Tad’s cousin down…”

      Payton placed her hand on my shoulder to comfort me. “Yeah, I know, he’s still in a coma.”

      “Yeah, I mean if Grandma was supposed to make it through and she didn’t, odds really are that he’s gone. I don’t know, you know. I just want to do more, you know? For God I can’t have any regrets, you know, but a part of me is just…” I looked out the window as I couldn’t finish my own statement, not wanting to admit I was a little scared to step out there for God.

      “You don’t want to be ridiculed?”

      “Exactly!”

      “Well, the word says that if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me,” my sister said. “I’m not the perfect Christian either. I know my halo is a little tilted, but for the most part I don’t let anyone push me into something I don’t want to do. If you truly believe in God, then stand for Him, and don’t care what anyone else says. Remember, folks talked about Jesus. So who are we that we can’t endure for the One who gave His all for us?”

      “Right, right,” I uttered, agreeing that my sister had a valid point.

      “You know Pillar said she’s going to go to school here.”

      “Yeah, we were talking about it when we got the call about Grandma.”

      “Yeah, well she’s been working Uncle Percy for the last couple of days, and she’s serious. She’s in Atlanta with you, and as wild as that girl is you’re just going to have to decide.”

      “What do you mean? I can’t tell Pillar what to do.”

      “You have more influence than you think, my brother. When you want to grab that ball that most think is uncatchable you find a way to do it. Use that same logic for stepping up to Christ.”

      “Will what I say work?”

      “You’ve got to believe it will.” I nodded.

      The service for my grandmother was a blast. Because she had played the piano for several local choirs, there were eight different churches in the house singing songs of praise. There was no note that I heard that was out of tune and people got up and testified how she impacted their lives. Her nontraditional ways saved a lot of people.