Showers of blessing

When I was just a little girl, my maternal grandparents lived with us.

One of my favorite memories of Grandma is when she and I would squeeze ourselves into her chair – the upholstered rocker with the wooden swan head arms – and rock our blues away while singing hymns.

One of those old church songs was “Showers of Blessing” and after 50 years, the tune and the words still echo in my mind.  When I close my eyes, I can picture my gray-haired grandma and my skinny, bespectacled eight-year-old self rocking and singing together.

For over a week now, that old song replays again and again in my mind or I catch myself humming the tune.   Since May rolled around on the calendar, it’s been an emotional time for me.  The first of our family weddings is just days away now.  Middle daughter will walk down the aisle escorted by her father and marry her true love.

In addition to the emotion of elated happiness at thinking about my daughter getting married, I’ve also encountered a touch of sadness.  I’m really missing my parents, even more than usual, as we prepare for all of these weddings in our family.

I find it a bit heartbreaking that my children have no living grandparents to attend their wedding ceremonies.   My mother would have been so excited over all of the preparations and so willing to help.  My father would have been proud of his grandchildren and their choices in marriage partners.  My husband’s parents would also have welcomed these family events with enthusiasm.

But the church pew reserved for parents and grandparents will only hold two people – my husband and me – for all three nuptials. I’ll admit the thought of that has brought me to tears a few times.

Mulling over middle daughter’s recent bridal shower and that old hymn’s words taught to me by my own grandmother (who didn’t live long enough to see me get married either) provided inspiration for me on this day in my Opportunity book. It reminded me how many showers of blessing have been bestowed upon us as we prepare for our daughter’s wedding.

Her bridal shower was truly lovely and my oldest daughter, the maid of honor, did an outstanding job planning it.  Surrounded by good friends and some family, I noticed blessings pouring over us.

Continuing the vintage theme my daughter loves and has incorporated into her wedding, we used a few family keepsakes at her shower.  Lacy tablecloths that once belonged to my mother and mother-in-law adorned tables.  The shower goodies, lovingly prepared by oldest daughter, my sister, and me was served on old fashioned dishes that once graced the tables of my grandmother, my mother, my mother-in-law, and even a great aunt.  All of those items represented blessings handed down through generations.

But it just wasn’t about things.  As friends and family gathered to shower my daughter with gifts for her new life with her true love, they also showered her with blessings of love.

From one spectrum to another, blessings flowed and I can still picture each one.  Two of my oldest and best friends from childhood, my tried and true friends, attended the shower.  Joining them was the mother of one of those best friends, my next door neighbor while I was growing up and in many ways my ‘second mom.’

The mothers of two of the bridesmaids also were in attendance, fellow moms who watched our girls make their way through junior and senior high school together, moms who welcomed my daughter into their homes and hearts.

And then there were my daughter’s college and high school friends – spread near and far, yet gathered together to celebrate the bride-to-be.  Good friends I’ve made since moving back to the homeland,  including my prayer warriors and confidantes, were also included.

One special blessing was the presence of my mother’s best friend, a dear lady who has known and loved me since my birth and who just last month celebrated her 95^th birthday. She was so tickled to be included in this celebration.   Her daughter, such a part of our family that she almost seems like a sister, also attended.

Family is a huge blessing to me and that included my sister, my oldest daughter,  my soon-to-be daughter in-law, my niece (wife of my nephew) and happily rounding out the festivities, my adorable 16-month old great-niece.

Thinking back over that wonderful day, how could I feel anything but blessed?  And that’s when it dawned on me not to focus on who was missing for the celebration, but to give thanks for the blessings that were there showering us that day.

I find it fitting that I give thanks for those blessings this week as we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day.  I’m so grateful for the mothers who came before me, mothers who’ve come along beside me, and the young ladies, future mothers, who will carry the torch forward into the future.

Thank you, Grandma, for teaching me ‘Showers of Blessing.’  May blessings be poured out and showered over all of you mothers out there this Mother’s Day weekend.

There shall be showers of blessing:

This is the promise of love;

There shall be seasons refreshing,

Sent from the Savior above.

Refrain:

Showers of blessing,

Showers of blessing we need:

Mercy-drops round us are falling,

But for the showers we plead.

There shall be showers of blessing,

Precious reviving again;

Over the hills and the valleys,

Sound of abundance of rain.

There shall be showers of blessing;

Send them upon us, O Lord;

Grant to us now a refreshing,

Come, and now honor Thy Word.

There shall be showers of blessing:

Oh, that today they might fall,

Now as to God we’re confessing,

Now as on Jesus we call!

There shall be showers of blessing,

If we but trust and obey;

There shall be seasons refreshing,

If we let God have His way.

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