Don’t Ya Love Grandma’s? In her “Second Half of Life”, my Maternal Grandmother, Grandma Jay as us grandkids called her, was an exquisite Sunday School Teacher. She attended Nile Street Assembly of God in Bakersfield, California, with her then husband, a former “hobo”, Jay Betzer, who spent the first half of his adult life rambling around the United States on freight trains. Her first husband, Grandpa Bob, was killed in an oil refinery explosion in 1944, three years before I was born. My mom says I am a lot like him! He loved to hunt and fish! Bob Wise played guitar and sang in Honky Tonks! Twice he left his wife, my Grandma and 4 daughters, one of them my Mom, when they lived in the pan handle of Texas. Eventually, he came back and patched things up with Grandma, twice. They moved to Bakersfield, California in the late 1930’s. There they became deeply involved in church and things were a bit smoother for the family. Grandpa Bob lived three days after the refinery explosion but was severely burned over his entire body. Doctors were amazed he lived that long! Grandma (then) Wise, faithfully kept the family in church and continued teaching Sunday School which she had been doing for several years. She was amazing! It was a couple years after Grandpa Bob was killed that Jay Betzer, started coming to church, when he wasn’t off on another freight train ride. But he always came back. He took a liking for my Grandmother and her four daughters, two of which were now married to Servicemen, who were overseas, fighting in WW2. They eventually married two years later in 1945. My Mom and Dad also married in 1945. Two years after that, I was born! Somehow, all of us grandkids called our grandma, Grandma Jay. I don’t know how it started, but I never knew her as anything else. Grandpa Jay, never took another train ride. He was a loyal and faithful husband, Stepfather, and Grandpa! Oh, yes, he was, in reality, my “Step Grandfather”. But, growing up, I never knew that! There was no “step” in our relationship. All the while, Grandma Jay was faithfully teaching Sunday School. Each week, she spent long hours preparing for her class. Didn’t matter what grade or age she taught, eventually, her class was the largest that particular year! She passed away at age 77 and taught her class until two months before. The kids in her last class were the oldest kids she had taught. The reason for that is they, the kids, refused to leave her class, so, Grandma Jay, graduated to the next grade with them for three
years. There are several Missionaries and Pastors from her last class! That was real discipleship, resulting from a very deep, caring, long term, relationship framed around the Word of God, consistency, loyalty, commitment and prayer. All of it energized by a Spirit Filled life! She impacted my life in so many ways in my early years. Sadly, many of the “Grandma Jays” of today are just sitting in pews, sometimes a bit shackled by technology and feeling unimportant and irrelevant! In reality, they are a precious and valuable resource. May God grant both church leaders and our “Grandma and Grandpa Jay’s”, wisdom and willing hearts to find creative ways to use their life experiences and Biblical knowledge to impact following generations through God’s plan, the Local Church! Coming Events: Palmetto State Park- BBQ and special guest Doug Roberts. April 4th 11:00 AM til 4:00 PM. We will have some fun games and do a nature walk (Paths are handicap accessible). The scenery is beautiful and the weather should be good! We’ll cap the day with a brief message, singalong, some Homemade Ice Cream, and, if you’re up to it, some Smore’s! Cost is $10 per person, plus you will need to pay a per person park entry fee of $2 or $3 at the park office.
Our District Superintendent has scheduled an evening with Lanny Wolfe, wonderful musician and legendary song writer. “Whatever it Takes”; “More Than Wonderful”; Surely The Presence of the Lord is in This Place”; God’s Wonderful People; and over 800 more! We are piggybacking on these two events and Seniors With Purpose is crashing their party, with permission. Thanks, not only to Brother Barker and Lanny Wolfe, but to pastors Randy Meeks and Presbyter Joel Nabors of the Naches Valley Section and Gene Ricks, Pastor of Lakeside Christian Fellowship, for hosting these events. It will be a wonderful evening of worship and Christian music that warms the heart. But, it will be a powerful time in God’s presence! Definitely worth the effort getting there! Friday, March 27, 7:00 PM Lindale A/G 503 Reid St Houston, TX 77022
Monday, April 27, 7:00 PM Lakeside Christian Fellowship 9790 Hwy 96 North Brookeland, TX 75931
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