Gratitude for what my grandmother taught my daughter…
by Jennifer Greene-Sullivan
Deuteronomy 6:6–7 (ESV)
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
This past Sunday morning, I glanced across the table in our small group at FBC Cochran, Georgia, and I saw something that warmed my heart. Sophia, our middle daughter, sat quietly with her head bowed—not in sleepiness or boredom but in focus. She was writing. She was studying. She was paying attention. She wasn’t scrolling. She wasn’t fidgeting. She wasn’t waiting for the moment to pass.
She was rooting herself.
The room around her was busy—papers spread out, booklets open, pens scattered across the table, conversations unfolding all around, but Sophia looked locked in like she understood something many of us forget:
Sitting with the Lord matters.
In a world that trains our minds to be scattered and hurried, it is holy to witness a young woman who choose stillness. It is sacred to watch her open her heart to the Word of God and take the time to write down what He is speaking. It felt like one of those “sacred snapshots” God gives us as a gift—evidence that He is moving in places we can’t always see. He has moved through years and years of prayer and of purposeful loving and waiting for Sophia to radically change. Change into the woman He has called and chosen her to be.
The truth is… this did not happen overnight.
As I watched Sophia that morning, my heart filled with gratitude—not only for what I was seeing, but for the woman who helped plant what I was witnessing. I am deeply grateful to my grandmother, Vonceil Faircloth, for the year Sophia lived with her. Ironically, Sophia thought she moved in with my grandmother to be her helpmate, yet my God fearing grandmother helped Sophia mature more than she might realize.
The love and care Nannie poured into her was steady, tender, and life-changing. Most importantly, my grandmother taught Sophia how to study the Word of God. Nannie didn’t just tell Sophia about Jesus—she showed her Jesus.
Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
They did devotionals together. They prayed. They read Scripture. They built a daily rhythm of seeking God that didn’t depend on circumstances or feelings. That year became a holy foundation in Sophia’s life, and now—even though Nannie has moved into assisted living and Sophia is back home with us—we can see the fruit of that time as parents. I know there were days that Nannie searched the Bible alone and prayed that Sophia would pay more attention or that Sophia would care more about Him, yet even on those days, Nannie planted seeds of influence because Sophia always watched her and noticed Nannie live her life as she continued loving and seeking Jesus day in and day out.
How do I know these seeds sprouted and grew?
We recognize the changes.
As parents, Chris and I see a softness where there once was hardness. We see a steadiness where there once was uncertainty. We see maturity that can only come from being lovingly discipled in the quiet. We see a heart that has turned to Jesus and set her own spiritual goals for 2026. More than anything…
We see Sophia’s love for people and her love for Jesus, and her restoration makes us thrilled beyond words. Jesus has made the crooked places straight. He has restored the broken. He has freed the captive. He has healed the sick. He has resurrected that little girl who lost so much in her adolescence because the enemy wanted her complete destructed emotionally or dead. Yet, Jesus had the last word on the life of my baby!! He spoke life and liberty to Sophia.
We are so grateful for God’s faithfulness. Thank you, Father!!
Sometimes we want spiritual growth to look like something huge—like a stage, a microphone, or a dramatic testimony that makes everyone cry, but spiritual maturity is most often formed in unseen places.
Spiritual Maturity Begins…
In devotionals done at kitchen tables at my Nannie’s house on Jessup Street. In prayers whispered at bedtime before Sophia goes to work at Chick-fil-A. In Scriptures underlined in tabbed Bibles with colorful journaling and nuggets of truth. In steady, faithful love of a Father who sent His Son to never give up on that ONE sheep. The one that He left the ninety nine for–for my daughter. Sophia’s maturity and restoration were forged from prayers of a loving mother, a persevering grandmother, and a sacrificing great grandmother.
This is what legacy looks like.
This is what discipleship looks like.
This is what spiritual formation looks like.
Not flashy. Not loud.
Just faithful.
Just real.
Just steady.
As I watched Sophia write and study in small group Sunday morning, I didn’t just see my daughter taking notes. I saw her becoming. I saw the Lord shaping her into someone who won’t be easily tossed by the storms of life. Someone who is learning to seek wisdom. Someone who is learning that God isn’t only found in mountaintop or valley moments—He is found in the middle of ordinary Sundays too. Thankfully, I realized again: we are blessed.
We are blessed to witness the fullness of God’s favor and restoration unfolding in the life of our middle daughter. For Sophia’s salvation, liberation, and restoration, I will always give Him praise.
Challenge for Parents of Prodigals
If you are a parent carrying the weight of a prodigal child, hear me clearly: do not give up. Do not stop praying. Do not stop believing. Do not stop standing in the gap.
Even when the silence feels unbearable…
Even when the distance feels permanent…
Even when you don’t recognize your own child…
Seek the Lord on his or her behalf. Intercede like a watchman on the wall. Speak his or her name in prayer until hope rises again. And while you wait—love your child like Jesus would. Stay steady. Stay kind. Stay open. Support without enabling.
Love without conditions. Pray without ceasing because the God we serve is not finished.
He can turn it all around.
He can redeem what feels wasted.
He can restore what has been broken.
He can call a child home—slowly, suddenly, and day after day.
So today, make this your commitment:
“I will not quit.
I will not harden my heart.
I will not lose hope.
I will keep seeking the Lord… until I see His promises unfold.”
A Prayer of Thanks
Lord, thank You for the small beginnings and the quiet moments that change everything. Thank You for Nannie and the love she poured into Sophia. Thank You for the devotionals, the conversations, and the steady discipleship that planted seeds Sophia will carry for the rest of her life. Continue to protect her heart, strengthen her faith, and let her love for Jesus grow deeper each day. Thank You for restoration. Thank You for favor. Thank You for letting us witness Your goodness in our daughter’s life. Father, I ask for continued physical and spiritual fortitude for my precious grandmother. Give Nannie longevity and renewal of her mind and strengthening of her body as she continues to love and to support our family. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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