When I was young, I spent the night every Friday, just me and my Grandma Ruth. The bedtime stories she told me were always stories from her life. The part she liked to talk about the most was when she married Grandpa Sam. She told me about their wedding; all the things brides pick out and how it had all looked back then. She could recall more details about those few months in 1950 than she could about last week.
Grandma Ruth would uncover old photo albums like a storybook and show me each item, telling me why she chose it and where she got it. My very favorite one was she and Grandpa taking communion; they had these Sterling Silver communion cups with real gold lining, that looked like buried treasure. I liked to pretend they'd somehow found them in buried treasure, though I had been told repeatedly they were from Sears and Roebuck.
My Very First Heirloom
What I never knew at the time was that every year on their anniversary she and my Grandpa would pull out their cups and share The Lord's Supper again. But the week before my wedding, my mom brought me a package and told me Grandma had asked her to save it for me until now. Tucked neatly inside it, I found the 63 photos, those gold-gilded communion cups, and a letter. The photos were of my grandparents drinking from their communion cups throughout their lives, from the wedding photo with which I was familiar, to how I remembered Grandpa Sam right before he died. I picked up the letter and opened knowing I was about to learn another wonderful thing about my Grandma Ruth.
A Couple's Tradition
The letter told me how happy she was for me, offered expert advice, and finally, explained my gift. She reminded me that I had been fascinated by the photo and those amazingly beautiful cups, but too young to fully appreciate other parts of the story. Now, however, was the time. The moment that she had really felt her partnership with her new husband was when he handed her one of their communion cups and led her through the sacrament of communion.
She knew she had found a man who could lead her and serve her, especially in the things of God. She felt that second was when they started a new family, centered in Christ and made possible by His sacrifice. They reaffirmed this commitment each year on their anniversary; and wanted to leave the pictures, the letter, and the communion cups to me to pass on a legacy I would continue to pass on.
Grandma Ruth would uncover old photo albums like a storybook and show me each item, telling me why she chose it and where she got it. My very favorite one was she and Grandpa taking communion; they had these Sterling Silver communion cups with real gold lining, that looked like buried treasure. I liked to pretend they'd somehow found them in buried treasure, though I had been told repeatedly they were from Sears and Roebuck.
My Very First Heirloom
What I never knew at the time was that every year on their anniversary she and my Grandpa would pull out their cups and share The Lord's Supper again. But the week before my wedding, my mom brought me a package and told me Grandma had asked her to save it for me until now. Tucked neatly inside it, I found the 63 photos, those gold-gilded communion cups, and a letter. The photos were of my grandparents drinking from their communion cups throughout their lives, from the wedding photo with which I was familiar, to how I remembered Grandpa Sam right before he died. I picked up the letter and opened knowing I was about to learn another wonderful thing about my Grandma Ruth.
A Couple's Tradition
The letter told me how happy she was for me, offered expert advice, and finally, explained my gift. She reminded me that I had been fascinated by the photo and those amazingly beautiful cups, but too young to fully appreciate other parts of the story. Now, however, was the time. The moment that she had really felt her partnership with her new husband was when he handed her one of their communion cups and led her through the sacrament of communion.
She knew she had found a man who could lead her and serve her, especially in the things of God. She felt that second was when they started a new family, centered in Christ and made possible by His sacrifice. They reaffirmed this commitment each year on their anniversary; and wanted to leave the pictures, the letter, and the communion cups to me to pass on a legacy I would continue to pass on.
About the Author:
Communion is sacred, whether between a loving couple, or with thousands in a church. Jesus said, "...wherever two or three of you are gathered together, I am there too..." [Matt 18:20 NIV] Fine communionware is up to 50% off at select online Christian bookstores. You can celebrate with me each year the blessing of communion with the one you love. That's my opinion, and I'm usually right. Cheers, Be Blessed!
