Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

My grandmother was a good example of letting her Christian life shine. The lives she had an influence on are still evident today even though she passed on over 20 years ago. Growing up was always Sunday morning, evening, and Wednesday nights. We would leave home and always swing by and pick up my grandmother. She was most of the time standing outside waiting for us to pick her up. She never had gotten her driver’s license and my grandfather never attended church, so she rode with us.

She was apparently the spiritual leader of her house when my dad and his brother and sister were growing up. My dad, as long as I can remember, was a deacon or elder and remains an elder today. That is not likely to have happened without Christian upbringing.

You could tell my grandmother was a Christian by her actions and hearing her talk. She was always singing hymns around the house and reading her Bible. She was on the phone with people who missed services. I spent a lot of my childhood around my grandparents and I don’t recall her saying anything bad about anyone. She had her health issues but was always happy and loved her family very much.

Later on, after Amy and I were married one Sunday morning I noticed my grandmother didn’t come in the building with mom and dad. Not long after, she came in with a smile on her face and my grandmother came in behind her. He was probably 80 years old at the time. I don’t remember him missing church on Sundays after that day. My grandfather obeyed the gospel a year or so later. I will never forget that day.

I never knew the conversations they had about his salvation, but my grandmother had always let her light shine and lived a good Christian life. She planted a lot of seeds in her life. Some took longer than others to germinate, but she had a Christian influence on a lot of folks. I guess my point in this is that we can all have influence on people by the way we live our lives. The old saying is that there is always someone watching.

I am so glad my grandfather finally became a Christian. It is my opinion today that my grandmother’s Christian example is still reaping benefits. Her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren are all Christians. I know that life is more fast-paced than it was back when my grandparents were raising a family but we still have plenty of opportunities to let our Christian light shine in all we do.

Todd Dickerson