CYNTHIA CARTER: Finding your purpose in life

Grandma, what is your purpose in life?

My book is my testimony of what God can do. It’s not so much what I did, but what God did for me. God brought people into my life that I didn’t know to help me put this book together, starting with Dr. Eugene Sherman, who was my mentor, advising and helping me in every way that he could.

Dr. Sherman wrote my preface, explaining the traditional family. The traditional human family consists of father, mother and at least one child, a configuration known as a nuclear family. In those instances in which a grandparent is living with the family, the unit is known as an extended family setting.

The extended family members are referred to as grandfather or grandmother. Generally, that person is the grandmother. Owing to her longevity, her presence in the family provides invaluable opportunities for both the parents and children. She is a source of help with household chores, but her knowledge and experience are valuable in the training of children. In this context, children frequently are prone to ask grandma.

Today, many homes lack the extended family because senior housing is available and many seniors prefer or enjoy the independent lifestyle of living alone.

Jeremiah Paschal I named in the book as an angel in disguise because of his name being biblical, the title of a book in the Bible. I knew without a doubt God was using him to bring me a message. I took my big Bible, turned to the book of Jeremiah and read every chapter until I came upon chapter 30, verses 1-2. This is what I read from the King James Version: “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book.”

I jumped for joy because I knew that was my answer. Then one day I was in Joan’s Fabric Store. I met a young lady named Wanda Murray. She came all the way from Canada as a flight attendant and became my coach. She had never published a book before, but God gave her the knowledge to put my book together. Within the same year, she lost her mother and I lost my daughter. That’s how we became mother and daughter. God did it. You might have to go through something to get something, but God has the victory.

Finally is the person who gave me the name Grandma when I used to pick up my grandchildren from the Boys and Girls Club. Mr. Jason Belk, a father figure to our children, is to be appreciated for a job well done. I thank him for the name Grandma; that’s what he called me.

Many people call me Grandma, which I love. It’s a blessing to be one. I am thankful. I’ve learned in life it doesn’t take a lot of money or material things to be happy, even though money is a means to survival. What it takes to be happy is to have a personal relationship with God, making him first and center in your life. As life goes on, God will speak to you in all kinds of ways.

Our purpose in life is to be used for God’s glory, serving in some kind of way. Sometimes, it only takes a kind word, a listening ear, a hug, a smile or a helping hand. Money can’t buy any of these things. If given, it means so much to a person.

The spirit of God is powerful and can travel from heart to heart without a spoken word. We must always pray and be thankful, taking nothing for granted. When you wake and can see, hear, talk, walk, eat, sleep and be in your right mind, be thankful. Whatever you have, be thankful and continue to pray. You will see a change in your life.

Ask Grandma is a weekly column written by Cynthia Carter. If you have a question to Ask Grandma, email it to [email protected] and include “Ask Grandma” in the subject line. You also can mail questions to Ask Grandma, c/o The Albany Herald, P.O. Box 48, Albany, GA 31702. Phone-in questions can be left on our Bright Side comment line, (229) 888-9351. Carter’s book, “Ask Grandma,” is available for purchase online from Amazon, Books-A-Million and Barnes and Noble.