Grandmother and Mother

One small boy sit down for stool beside im grandmother. She dey tell am, again, about Abraham, and Moses, and King David. Im mother look up from her work and smile. None of dem know yet how far dis small boy go reach.

Di boy na Timothy. E grow up for Lystra, one small Roman town for di hills of di place wey we dey call southern Turkey today. Di book of Acts tell us say im mother na Jewish woman wey believe, and im father na Greek man. So Timothy grow up between two worlds. When Paul pass through Lystra for im journeys, Timothy don already be young believer wey everybody dey talk good about, and Paul carry am follow as helper. Years after, Timothy don become church leader imself, and Paul write am one letter. Na one of di last letters wey Paul ever write.

Paul start with warm heart. To Timothy, my dear beloved son. I dey thank God, e talk, as I dey remember you every time for my prayers, night and day. E remember di tears wey Timothy cry di last time wey dem say goodbye, and e dey long to see am again, so dat joy go fill am. And then Paul remember something more. I remember di true faith wey dey inside you, faith wey first live inside your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I dey sure say e dey live inside you too. Na beautiful line. Faith wey first live inside grandmother. Then inside mother. Then inside son. Like lamp wey people dey pass from one hand to another hand, through one family.

Because of dis, Paul talk, I dey remind you to blow di gift of God wey dey inside you till e catch fire again. Di picture na di hot coal for fire, wey person need to stir and blow so dat e go burn well again. Maybe Timothy na person wey dey shy. Paul continue: Because God no give us spirit of fear, but spirit of power, and of love, and of sound mind. No shame, Paul talk, for di testimony about our Lord, or for me, im prisoner. Join me suffer for di gospel, by di power of God.

Later for di same letter, Paul come back to Timothy childhood. Hard times dey come, Paul warn, and people go dey miss road. But as for you, continue for wetin you don learn and wetin you don believe firmly. You know who you learn am from. Dat na Lois and Eunice, and Paul too. And you know say since you be small pikin you don know di holy scriptures, wey fit make you wise for salvation through faith wey dey inside Christ Jesus. One grandmother and one mother open di scriptures for one small boy. Dem no fit know say one day e go help lead di church. Dem just do wetin dey in front of dem, day after day, for house.

To teach children di scriptures for house na strong Jewish custom. Di book of Deuteronomy tell parents make dem talk God words to dem children when dem sit down for house and when dem dey waka for road. And di Jewish historian Josephus, wey live for di first century, boast say Jewish people learn dem laws so well from when dem small, say dem fit recite dem quick pass how dem fit talk dem own name.

Grandmother and mother. You go find Lois and Eunice for Second Timothy chapter one, verse one to seven, and chapter three, verse fourteen and fifteen. Person fit pass faith give another person for di most ordinary places, around table, beside fire. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Who don help your faith grow, and who you fit pass am give?