But the Greatest of These is Love...

Georgia Anne Green, “Nanny”
November 7, 1927 - September 10, 2007

From the beginning, her life was a miracle. On November 7th, 1927 Georgia Anne Parsons came into this world. She was born between 2 siblings who did not endure through their infancy, and became the 4th of 6 surviving children of Reverends George and Mary Parsons.

At the age of two and four she battled against two serious illnesses that nearly took her life, and lived to grow up as a gentle, loving daughter and sister who looked up to her older brother Jack, and sisters “Bene” and “Rhodie”, while lovingly nurturing her little brother “Gil” and baby sister “Gwennie”. She continued through her life to overcome and amaze those around her. She could always say, throughout her whole life, that she had never spent a day sick in a hospital.

Having been born in Victoria Carbonear, Newfoundland, she spent her childhood moving from parsonage to parsonage as my Great Grandparents pastored in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Nfld.

While she was still a teenager, she met her soul mate, Hubert "John" Green, whom everyone then called “Jack”. They were married on October 19th, 1949 and, from that day, were deeply devoted to each other. I remember he always called her “Dear” and after the birth of their three beautiful girls, Dianne, Kay and Sherri, she always called him “Dad”.

Nanny and Grampy, as we called them, sought every opportunity to be together, and so Nanny would often travel with him across Newfoundland as he went to work inspecting the weather equipment in various towns. My sister and I, when we were very young, would sometimes travel with them, and we loved to sit cuddled up beside her as she sang us hymns and loved on us.

She and Grampy, also shared a great love for, and devotion to, the Word of God. And, they felt a deep sense of purpose in sharing the message and love of Christ with whomever they were blessed to meet. Together they were active members of The Gideons International and always carried a supply of New Testaments with them on their journeys. Beyond their love for God, their greatest joy was their love of family and there are no words to fully describe the kind of love that we felt from them.

I am sure that Nanny experienced sadness, loneliness, and even disappointment in her life, after all she was human, and living in this world, but mostly, she told us she felt joy, peace, love and chose to live her life by being thankful and content.

She told me many times that she felt like she was the richest woman in the world. She spoke so often of knowing how blessed she was to have found the love of her life. And, although he was taken from her too soon, she held that love for him alone – and, I know, even into eternity, she is still his.

She also received the ultimate joy of being able to be a full-time mother, bringing up her three girls in the love and trust of the Lord. The girls remember all the times she was there for them, from just being there everyday to greet them when they came home from school, to making special treats, like homemade French Fries with gravy and her divine apple, blueberry and strawberry~rhubard pies. They remember cuddling into her bed with her on lazy mornings, and the way she had of making them feel safe and adored. Her love and belief in them was unconditional, and it always remained steadfast throughout her life. Through the way that she lived her life, she testified to them of the depth of God’s love. And, I know they thank her for believing in them and never giving up so that now their own salvation is secure.

Beyond her salvation, Nanny felt that the dearest gift she had been given on this earth was the gift of her children and grandchildren. She treasured that gift above all things, and she made the most of every moment, every embrace, every opportunity to express her love, to nurture us, protect us, and more than anything to always pray her heartfelt prayers for us.

Nanny loved her grandkids so deeply that she couldn’t ever get enough of us. She called us “her treasures” and I know that she would have liked to have had us around her all the time if she could’ve. She was the type of person who knew no age. And, even as we grew older she called us “her baby, her doll, and her pet” – and even at my age, I loved it. Yes, she spoiled us all with her love, and we are all eternally grateful.

Nanny was an extraordinary woman who loved unconditionally and with a greater devotion than we can express. She enjoyed the simple things in life, like knitting slippers and sweaters for her loved ones, and taking time to make her home a haven of peace for all those who came in. She enjoyed singing hymns especially with our dear friend Kay Pritchett, taking a nice little nap, and her quiet times in devotion and prayer. She cherished the visits and calls from her brothers and sisters, laughing with her family, and of course, having us all together as often as we could.

It is easy to see if you look closely, even now, what kind of a woman my grandmother was. You can see it in her daughters. In my Mother, Dianne, her strength of character, sense of purpose, her determination, and her care- giving nature. In her soft-spoken child, Kay, her tenderness, her compassion, and the purity of her unconditional love. In her youngest, her baby, Sherri, her devotion of faith, her perseverance, and her strength of spirit. And, in each of them, her sense humour, her dedication to family, and her love of the Lord.

She was the gentlest, yet most profound, teacher I have ever known. She taught us all to dream, to have faith, to believe in ourselves and in each other. To forgive, and to never lose hope even when things seem unsure. Above all, she taught us to love without question, because she knew that love is never jealous, proud, selfish or demanding. That it protects, is kind, rejoices in the truth, covers over our sins, and lasts into eternity.

For many people death seems to be the end, and can feel unkind, unnecessary and sometimes even cruel. But, for Nanny it was an anticipated time of passing on into the beginning of a joyous celebration and a truly abundant life everlasting - one without sorrow, without pain, and one where she can embrace her Saviour and see her precious love ones again.

Psalm 116:15 speaks of this and reminds us that for those who place their trust in Him as Nanny did, “Precious in sight of the Lord is the Death of one of His saints”. And, I think we can all agree, she was more than your average saint ~ perhaps even for us an Angel lent to us from above.

Her love for us never ceases, and as we feel it strongly even now, we thank her for always believing, always giving, for always being who she was to all of us. We will miss her on this earth, but she will always and forever be in the center of each of our hearts.

My Grandmother passed away on September 10th, 2007. Her passing was significant in its timing as she passed in the same hour as the love of her life, my grandfather, who, 18 years ago, died during the same hour of his prayers and devotion between 6 and 7 am everyday of his Christian life. When he died I was reminded by God in that hour just how precious the death of one of his saints is (Psalm 116:15). God took them both into His presence in the hour of their devotion to Him. And, the One that they sought to know in this life, they finally have met with face to face for eternity. While I lay beside the body of my grandmother after her spirit left, her mouth forming her last breath slowly closed into a smile, and her face shone with a glorious peace. The sense of loss I have is filled with a knowing that God has us all in the palm of His hand and we will soon be together again with Him.