Faith Walk / William Carroll
Faith Walk / William Carroll
Episode 29; Granny Iva's Legacy: Embracing Faith in Her Final Journey
As I sit down to share the inspiring journey of my grandmother, Iva Hightower, I find myself reflecting on the ways her unwavering faith shaped her battle with cancer. Her story, intertwined with the warmth of her personality and the legacy of her culinary ventures in Sonora, Texas, is a testament to the strength found in belief and conviction. Throughout this episode, I carry you through the vibrant tapestry of her life, her stylish flair, and the heartfelt final moments that left an indelible mark on our family. It's not every day that you encounter someone who, faced with a grim prognosis, turns a chance meeting into a pivotal crossroad, choosing a path lit by faith over the stark corridors of modern medicine.
Join us as I recount the treasured narratives and intimate conversations shared at my grandmother's bedside, stories that echo the laughter we shared and the love we reaffirmed. From the antics of our family squirrel, Thumper, to the profound impact of saying goodbye, this episode reflects on the powerful bond between a grandmother and her grandson, and the solace we found in prayer during those final hours. It's a celebration of a life well-lived and a reminder of the comfort that presence and heartfelt words can bring in the most sorrowful of farewells. Tune in to an episode that promises not only to touch your heart but to also illuminate the profound influence of legacy and love.
Good morning and welcome to Faith Walk podcast, william Carroll. I'm your host and this morning it's a it's an honor to be with you. This is gonna be the 29th episode that I have put on Faith Walk podcast and on here. God just laid it on my heart to just share the things and the times that I stood on the Word, prayed the Word of God and and he manifested his power in those prayers and the answer of those prayers, and to encourage a generation of people coming up that our God is alive. I've God is real. Our God will do what he says he'll do. He'll back the Word as he has spoken in his Word, if we're faithful, to believe on it, stand on it, pray it and then wait and see that our God want. I always say take God out of the box. Religion puts him in the box, relationship puts him out. You need to have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. He has to be your best friend. You have to love God, love him, serve him, seek him. He sends us the Holy Spirit to be our leader, teacher and our guide, to comfort us, because he's not with us, but the Spirit is always with us. So on this broadcast, that's what we're gonna do in this morning.
Speaker 1:As I was praying about what to speak about this morning and it came to me that to share my testimony of my grandmother when my grandmother passed away. So my grandmother her name, this is my mother's mother, my mother's mother, iva Hightower. She was a tall, thin lady, beautiful lady. You know she's one of these ladies, one of these grandmothers that you know she couldn't go to town without getting her face on. That's what she called it. She said, oh, I gotta put my face on before I go to town. Now, that might take a couple hours, you know, because she wasn't in real no hurry, she just got, she, but she wanted to look good. She always looked good.
Speaker 1:We lived in Sonora, texas, when I was a young child and she had a street it's still there, iva, I believe it's Iva Drive and it went up the side of a peak, a mountain, I guess you could call it in West Texas and and her house set up on top and from her house you could look down over the whole city and she had many restaurants. You know she had two or three, four restaurants, I think, in her time and was a great shelf, great cook, and she just was a. You know she was a beautiful woman. Alright, I love to visit with her. Well, listen, she, when she got older, she moved back to Sigeen, that her family was from Sigeen. Her sister, my aunt, jimmy, lived in Sigeen and they live pretty close to each other and and we called her Granny, we called her Granny Iva was Granny. So Granny was living in Sigeen, texas, and then she became kind of ill and she went to the doctor and she had some, some tests run, you know, and they came back and they told her that she had cancer. Well, they said it was, you know, it was in her bones, it was. They just said it was everywhere, but they wanted her to start chemo.
Speaker 1:Well, I was the only one in the family that has ever been able to speak to her about the Lord. Now I would ask her do you believe in Jesus? Yes, I believe in Jesus. You know, I used to go to church. She'd say you know, I know the scriptures, I know about Jesus. I said, well, have you ever made him your personal Lord and Savior? And she said no. I said have you ever surrendered to his Lordship? No, would you like to do that now? No, I don't think I'm ready. That's what she would say, you know. But at least I was able to speak to her and talk to her, and I would always tell my mother Well, you know, I talked to her and you know she just says she's just not ready to accept him as her Lord and Savior.
Speaker 1:So she was diagnosed with cancer. I got my mother called me, told me, so I called her and I said granny I, how are you doing? She said well, I'm doing fine. She said I'm starting chemo but it's making me sick. She said the doctors gave me six months Well, six weeks to six months to live. She said what do you think about that? And I said well, I don't think that the doctors are God and I believe that God, only God knows your time. I said are you ready to go in six weeks or six months? And she said no. I said are you gonna take the treatment? And she said well, yeah, I'm gonna take the treatment.
Speaker 1:Well, shortly after that I got a call back, about two weeks after that, and she said she said William. She said I've decided not to take the treatment. She said they're making me sick and she says I'm feeling worse than I was before I was diagnosed. And she said I was at the grocery store the other day and she said I met, I met a little lady and she reminded me so much of you Because we were talking in line.
Speaker 1:And she just began to talk to me and begin to share about the goodness of God with me and how that the God of God is so good. And so she said how are you doing? And I told her about the cancer. It's in my bones, it's in my kidneys, it's in my liver, all this stuff. You know what the doctors say, and and that they gave me six weeks to six months if I would take the chemo. And she said the chemo is making me sick. And she said the.
Speaker 1:The lady said baby. She said you, you know what God doesn't. The doctors don't make the rules, only God does. You need to trust in the Lord, because the Lord can give you more than six weeks. He can give you more than six months. The doctor don't know your time, only God does.
Speaker 1:And she said William, do you believe that? I said yes, ma'am, I do. She said well, she, she really reminded me of you because she told me. She told me don't take that medicine, believe in God. And I said, yes, granny. I said I believe the same thing. I said I don't believe what the doctors tell me, because the doctors are just guessing, it's an opinion of theirs. Only God knows the truth. Only God knows how many days we have in our life. And I said if you don't want to, if you don't want to take the treatment, then let's pray. Let's pray together and let's ask God to give you as long as you want, as long as you need To carry out his purpose in this earth. So we began to pray and she said she always was, you know, open for me praying with her. So we prayed together, you know. And she said let's, you know, let's pray, that it's, his hand is on me and I'm not gonna take the medicine. So we did, and, and anyway she went along there and, oh it, you know, a year she was doing fine.
Speaker 1:The second year, you know, I guess, she was in a little pain, and so what they had done was they started adding a whole bunch of barbiturates, pain killers, to her regiment of pain, and so she was taking that and me, my family, went down and we were visiting her and visiting my mother's that this time she had moved into the house with my mother because my so my mother, you know, could take care of her. She says, she said, william, she's just not doing very good, she's just not. You know, she's not all here, she's just I think she's getting really bad. I don't, you know, I don't know what it is. So when I went down there you know, sometimes it takes an outside source to come in and look and see the problem Well, god gave me the ability to come in and look and see the problem and I said, well, what is she taking?
Speaker 1:And I saw all the medicines that she was taking, all these pain killers and stuff, and I told her, I said I said you need to go to the doctor and you need to ask the doctor to Take her off of some of these, because the way she's acting to me doesn't Doesn't seem that she isn't having a mental condition. It seems to be more like that. It's the medicine that she's taking that's affecting her, her brain activity and her, her fatigue and all of this stuff instead of the disease. And she said, you think so. I said, really, I do think so.
Speaker 1:So her and my sisters, my sisters, lived down there and in San Marcos. They, they took her to the doctor and they, they told the doctor what they thought and what I thought, and and they began Weaning her off of all those barbiturates. And they said well, guess what? She has a low tolerance to Barbiturates. This was what was causing the problem, because my family was afraid that her days was really numbered. Well, they got her off and all they had her own was Tylenol. That's it, tylenol. They took her off, her pain was alleviated with Tylenol.
Speaker 1:She began to be able to function normally again, be able again to think again, be able not to be so Fatigue and tired like she was, you know, on her deathbed and and and this went on for about another year or so, and and then I got a call one day and they said hey, william. They said Granny is in a nursing home and she's been in there for a couple of weeks now. And I think that if you want to see her, you better come see her, because I Don't think she's gonna be here very long. And I said well, when did y'all put her in the notion home? They told me, and I said why don't you go ahead and just tell me when you put her in there? Yes, we're coming to see her. So we loaded up, we went down there and we went in to see her and she's in a fixed position. You know, when older people get close to going home they get in a fixed position with their arms and Rigid position, and she was. She was very polite, though, you could say.
Speaker 1:My mother went over there and fed her breakfast and feather lunch and then went back and fed her supper. And we went over there during the first night, during supper, you know. And I went over and I picked up my aunt, my aunt Jimmy, and I said have you seen, have you seen granny? And she said no, I hadn't seen her a few weeks. I said, well, she's in the nursing home. She's not doing very good. Would you like to go? So I drove her over to Sam Marcus she's in a nursing home in Sam Marcus and we took her in and and she visited with granny. Now my mother had told me now she may or may not know you. She's. It's been a couple of weeks since she's known anybody, so she may or may not know you.
Speaker 1:Well, I prayed all the way down there. I said, lord, you know, let me speak to her. Lord and for for all those years I always prayed this prayer. I said, lord, don't hurt, don't let her die, don't let her pass away, to accept she accepts you as Lord in her Savior and surrenders her life to you, that she might be in heaven when I get there. And I just believe that God would honor that prayer and I prayed it all the time. I prayed it all the time, every time I shared with her. I talked to her, I tell her, I said would you like to step? Jesus said you look, well, I just don't think I'm ready. I said well, okay, I said because I believe God, you will, you know.
Speaker 1:And we went and got aunt Jimmy and we carried her over there and that night, you know, she was there and you could say would you like some corn off of her plate? It's we's finger. And she said yes, please. And I said granny, this is William. And she said and then she'd go to a stair, you know, she wouldn't know what she was. So, but she was always the polite one, she was always the proper lady. She still was, even in her last days.
Speaker 1:And so so the next day, you know, I, I was praying and I said Lord, lord, you know, don't let me leave. And I had to go home. I said, lord, don't let me leave. Um, let don't let me leave. I, I said, until she accepts you as Lord and savior, don't let her pass until she accepts you as Lord and savior.
Speaker 1:So that morning I got up and I went over there a little before lunch I guess, and me and my mother were going to meet and have lunch and um, and so I, um, I went in there and I just set beside her bed and I was just talking to her and I say, hey, granny, it's William. And she go, huh, and then she just, you know, it's like she knew, and then she'd fail away, and but I could ask her questions. And would you like a drink of water? Oh, yes, please, thank you, you know, and I. So I just began sitting there and I said you know, I remember now that the kids didn't make the trip with me, it was just a one down there one day and back the next afternoon because I had to be at work and I and I was in there and my sister said, hey, william.
Speaker 1:She said somebody rolled by, one of the other patients went by and said who that lady's fixing to die. And you know, and they kind of got on him, the staff got on him and you know, people can tell when somebody's getting ready to go home and and poor things. She sure looked like it. And so I, I sit there and I said I leaned over, you know, and I was. I said, uh, I said granny, I said you sure look beautiful today. And she, she looked at me and she said you're both full of chip. That's what she said. She kind of whispered it because she's a proper lady. And I said was mother here today? And she said yes. I said, did she feed you your breakfast? She said yes, she did. And she said, I said, granny, do you know who I am? This is William. And she said, yes, william, I know who you are.
Speaker 1:And so me and her started talking and we just started visiting about, just about old times. Uh, I brought up this squirrel that she, she used to have that ran across the roof of a trailer house. Back then the trailer houses were metal roof and I can't remember if she called him big foot or thumper. It was one of the two. I think it was thumper, but you could hear him Thump, thump, thump, thump running across that trailer house and I said do you remember thumper? And she said oh, yes, I do. She said that was the biggest squirrel I ever seen. But he sure loved to run across my house and and we began to talk about the birds, we began to talk about the day. It was a beautiful day.
Speaker 1:Now, she, she still wasn't that fixed Position right. And so, uh, I said, well, the kids sent you these cards. And I read the cards to him and she said well, tell them, thank you, I love, I love them. And I said Granny. I said listen.
Speaker 1:I said I've been asking you this question all your life and I said you know. I said, when you're ready to go home, god's ready to receive you. I said but, granny, I want you to be in heaven when I'm there. And I said I've asked you are you ready to accept Jesus as your Lord I know you believe in him or are you ready to accept him as your Lord and savior? And she said yes, william, I am. And so I just let her in a, uh, just let her in a simple prayer Lord Jesus, forgive me of my sins, come into my life, wash me with your blood that I might be white as snow and be the Lord of my life and heaven, my home, and Jesus his name. And she repeated that after me and I said, granny, I'm so, I'm so glad to see you and I'm so happy to see you and I'm so happy that I'm going to be with you in heaven. And she said I am too, william.
Speaker 1:And I said I looked outside and I saw something. I said, hey, look, granny, there's a squirrel. And she went and then she just went back into the days that she was in, before I began talking to it and I'd ask her another question, granny, and she went, and then she would just go back into the house, and then she would just go back in the days. Well, I stayed a little while longer and then I went and I met my mother at lunch and I said, uh. I said well, mom. I said you know I got to go home after lunch. She said, yeah, I know.
Speaker 1:And I said I went up and visited granny this morning and spent a couple of hours with her and I said you know about the first hour. You know she really didn't, you know, didn't know a whole lot, but I said she talked to me. She said she what I said yes, ma'am, she talked to me. I said she knew who I was. She knew. I told her that Aunt Jimmy had come last night. But she didn't remember seeing Aunt Jimmy. She didn't remember remember seeing me.
Speaker 1:I said but, mom? I said did you go feed her this morning? And she goes, oh yes, I'll go feed her every morning. And I said well, mom, I've been over. And I kissed her on the forehead and I told her. I said, granny, you look so beautiful today. And I said she looked at me and she said you're both full of shit. And my mom just lit up. She said she knew I was there. I said yes, ma'am. I said that's when she began talking to me. I said did mom come today to feed you? And she said yes, she sure did. She fed me my breakfast.
Speaker 1:I said, mom, what you've been doing, even though she wasn't there, she knows. And I said I began talking to her and I told the story to her, that I had talked to her about the old times and about living in Sonora and about Thumper or Bigfoot, that squirrel that run across her roof and made so much noise that tickled all of us so much. I told her that I told her. I said granny, do you know who I am? She said, yes, william, I sure do. And I told mom, she said you talked to her. I said yes, ma'am, I said.
Speaker 1:And I said, mom, we've been talking a long time and I've been asking her a long time. Every time I've been praying for her. I believe in God, believe in God that he would not let her pass. I've been holding him to it Lord, don't let her pass until she receives you as Lord and Savior. I said, mom, I let her in a prayer of salvation, lord. And she prayed it after me and she said thank you so much, william. And I said we talked just a few more minutes and then she went back to going and then nothing there. She you'd say something and she, and nothing there. She said, oh, she went back to that and I said yes, ma'am, she did. I said but maybe she can talk to you today or later. Well, that was the last time that anybody got to talk to her.
Speaker 1:But I was praying, I knew if I went down there, if I made that trip, I knew my God, my God would allow me to speak to my grandmother, to share with her, that he would open up her heart, that, listen, god doesn't want anybody not one person, not one person to pass without knowing him. Now, listen, I want to share a scripture. One of the scriptures that I stood on was James, chapter 5, 16, confess your trespasses to one another, pray for one another that you might be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with our nature, just like us, and he prayed earnestly that he would not reign. And he did not reign on the land for three years and six months and he prayed again and the heaven gave birth. Now, listen, I did a lot of. I did a lot of just a quick search for y'all, to give y'all some scriptures of how to stand on the word, the scriptures that you need to do.
Speaker 1:Listen, it says because of your unbelief. Matthew 1720, because of your unbelief, for surely I say unto you, if you have the faith of a mustard seed and you say to the mountain, move from here to there, it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 1926, with men, this is impossible, impossible, but with God, all things are possible. And in Mark 10 and 27 says with men, it is impossible, but not with God, for with God, all things are possible. Luke 1, 37 says for with God, nothing will be impossible. Nothing will be impossible. Nothing will be impossible.
Speaker 1:I'm telling you, god does not want one person, but not one person to die. He did not create hell for you and me. He created it for the angels that rebelled against him and fell. And Satan and his army is what's trying to drag us to hell. But listen, don't let them do it. If you don't know Jesus, ask him into your heart today. Just pray a simple prayer. Lord Jesus, I believe that you're the Son of God. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins, coming to my heart and saved me, and God will honor that prayer If you believe it in your heart and you confess it with your mouth. That's what Romans, chapter 10, 8 and 9 says. Listen, god is so good.
Speaker 1:If you have a loved one that doesn't know Christ, don't give up on them. I didn't give up on them. I never gave up on them. I prayed and I prayed, and every day I prayed for her. I asked God. I said, lord, do not let her pass until she accepts you as Lord and Savior. Do not let her pass until she knows you and has a relationship with you, that she might spend eternity in heaven, lord, that she might be there when I get there. And I believed him. And I believed when they told me that she might pass and I might not make it down there, I started praying. Lord, let me make it down there. Let me talk to her, lord. She hadn't talked in two weeks. Lord, let me talk to her. Let me know that she knows who I am and that I can talk to her and that I can pray with her. And I believed God would do it and he did it. Don't ever, ever, give up on your loved ones. Don't ever stop praying for them. If they can't talk, if they're in a coma, it don't matter. Believe God will open the door of opportunity for you to pray with them that they might spend eternity in heaven.
Speaker 1:Listen, we serve a God that is able to do everything. Anything. Nothing is impossible with God. See, it also says the scripture. Says he's not slack concerning his promises, the promises of judgment and everything is what this is talking about. He's not slack concerning the promises of his coming back and of his judgment. That's coming, but, but he's willing. He, he, it says he's not slack concerning the promises, but he's. His hope is that all might be saved. His hope is all that might be saved. Listen. If you're not saved, pray the prayer that I prayed a minute ago.
Speaker 1:Hey, listen, if you like this podcast, share it with your friends. Buzzsprout you can find it on faithwalkbuzz. Faithwalkbuzzsprout, faithwalkbuzzsprout. Hold on, okay, listen, it's faithwalkwinkerald at buzzsproutcom. Faithwalkwinkerald at buzzsproutcom.
Speaker 1:Hey, listen, I don't care so much. If you like, hit the like button. You can hit the like button if you want, but if you, if you subscribe, there's a little bell there and you can click on that bell and it'll ring or send you a message every time a new podcast drops. Listen, I just want to encourage you. You know this podcast is not about me. It's about my God.
Speaker 1:This podcast is not about. It is about what he's done in my life. But it's it's not to lift me up. It does build my faith more and more every day when I look back and I remember how God moved in the scriptures I use. But it's to lift you up, to build you up that you might be a man or a woman or a child of God and that you recognize that your God can do all things, that if you put something before your God's feet and you petition him for it, and it's in his word, then he will back his word.
Speaker 1:See, he wants to back his word. He wants to show this dying world that he is still alive. He's still the God that went by pillar of fire at night, in the clouds, at day, that led the children of Israel out of Egypt. He wants to prove that he's the God that split the Red Sea. He's the God that split the Jordan. He is the God that sent his own son, jesus Christ, and the likeness of a man to die upon the cross that we might be saved. But he's a God that moves. Today, see, his power hadn't gone away. You know, if somebody tells you, god, don't do that today, stop listening to them. You need to stop listening to them. God will still move. God will still move. He wants to move to prove that he is God. Amen. Until next time, have a great day. Faith Walk. William Carroll.
