Remember the time you spent with your old time Granny? Our regular culture channel writer Margaret Bailey takes us back to her childhood with "Travels With My Granny".
My Granny and I went on many journeys during her time here on earth. Most of our travels happened when I was a child, however, they have helped to form the person I have become. Just like the Lone Ranger had Tonto, I was Granny's sidekick.The first travel I can remember taking with her was to the Haberdashery store, where in those days in Jamaica, one bought fabric to have dresses made. My grandmother would have dresses made for all her grand girls for church. We would spend hours going over the different type of fabrics in the store, we also tried to determine how many yards would be needed for each dress and what type of materials would be suitable. During our visits to the shop, my Granny would pray with the owners of the store and leave them Bible verses to read. That meant on her next visit she would have some verses to discuss with them. After we left the Haberdashery store, we would then stop by the local market to purchase fresh produce for church festivities. Sometimes we would go to Coronation Market, where Granny was quite talented at negotiating prices with the vendors. She was so successful at making great deals that I would often get some guineps, june plums and mangos as a consolation prize for enduring the negotiation process.
Our next visit was to the candy store on King Street, where there were so many assortment of candies, that it was difficult to make a choice. Granny always liked to carry around icy mints or ginger candies, she often used candy as a way to reward her grandchildren. Once we were finished at the candy store, it was on to Kingston Public Hospital. My Granny ministered to the ill and aged for hours on end. She would place me to sit on a bench outside the rooms, I always paid attention while she was praying and reading the Bible to the patients.
Granny knew everyone at this institution and they looked forward to her weekly visits. As we travelled through the neighborhoods to go home, most of the folks knew her. They usually knew her because of church or whenever someone in their family was ill, Granny went to pray for them. A prayer from Granny would bring about miraculous healing. There were also times when she conducted Bible study classes at her home, so I guess you could say that she was a pillar of strength for her community. Granny's travels were mostly interesting missions. For instance, whenever someone passed away in the neighborhood, she always went to the funeral and as usual she would bring me along with her. Whether or not she knew the individual, she always went to pray for their souls.
On the nights I stayed at Granny's house, she would wake me at 4:00 a.m. to go swimming. We would get dressed and journey to Roquefort Beach, near Port Royal. She would sit me on a rock and go to the highest cliff and dive into the deepest part of the ocean. There she would swim for hours, I would watch and play with the jellyfish until she returned. Whenever she returned from the ocean, I would help to dry her off and she would sit and watch the sunrise. In those days Roquefort Beach was a great place to watch the morning sun rise.
My final journey with Granny happened when I migrated to America. This relocation did not detere her one bit from spreading the gospel and ministering to people. As time passed she watched me experience my own travels and adventures. She was not a worldly woman, yet she understood the ills of this world and spent her life trying to be the solution for suffering people. My grandmother lead me by example and that was her legacy. Her faithfulness to God and her deeds made everyone around her believe that prayer definitely changes circumstances.