Grandmother's Church

My grandmother was a conservative Christian woman from South Carolina. As such, she centered her life around God, her church, and her family. When me and my sister visited my grandparents during the summer, my mother always threw a couple of dresses and a pair of sandals in our suitcases to ensure we had something to wear when we went to church. Most summers our visit included a week of Bible school, church on Sunday mornings and Sunday nights, as well as church on Wednesday nights. Scheduled less frequently were week long revival services, intended to reign back in the hearts of backsliders, and encourage everyone else to do better. Revival attendees were treated to special gospel singers and guest pastors from neighboring churches who sermonized, at length, about how to get to Heaven, how to avoid Hell, and how to love thy neighbor at the same time.

Although I dare not underestimate the positive impact these gatherings had upon my youthful soul, the event that created a lasting impression on me past my formative years was the all night prayer meeting. These meetings were similar to revivals in that they featured songs of praise and vigorous preaching, however, those who attended prayer meetings were usually pretty sure of their salvation. During a prayer meeting, one could expect to hear personal testimonies of God's goodness, random shouts of "amen" or "hallelujah" as needed, and audible prayers of thanks to God. And true to their name, these meetings seemed to last all night. So, after singing until our throats were dry, squinting our eyes and holding our breath for most of the prayers, and chewing all of the Wrigley's spearmint gum from the bottom of my grandmother's purse, my sister and I would stretch out on one of the church pews and fall asleep. When the meeting was over, my grandmother would wake us up and take us home. Well-rested and sanctified, we'd get up the next morning full of energy, ready to go. And my grandmother? She was up as well, heating water on the stove so my sister and I could wash our faces, cooking eggs and bacon for our breakfast, ready to prepare us not just for the day, but for the days to come.