What Is A Biblical Woman? A Tribute to My Grandmother Dorris Terry

A Tribute to My Grandma Doris Terry: What Is a Biblical Woman?
As my family prepares to lay my grandma to rest tomorrow, I have been thinking
about her life and legacy, not only as my grandmother but also her legacy as a believer
in Christ. She was a godly woman; in fact, she is the person I credit with my coming to
Christ. She regularly took me to church as a child, but there was so much more to her
witness than simply taking me to church. She lived Christ. She lived out an example of
what a biblical woman should be in front of everyone that she encountered. Don’t get
me wrong, she was not perfect, but she was wonderful, and she made everything better
and special. Next to my mother, Grandma was the person who had the single greatest
impact on my life. She left a legacy of Christ with her family that will have a far-reaching
impact, for many generations to come.
When thinking about Grandma this week, I couldn’t help but think about the
Proverbs 31 woman. In Proverbs 31:10-31, King Lemuel describes what a godly woman
is. I want to pick through several of these verses in this passage and talk about the
example that Grandma left with me.
“An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart
of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and
not harm, all the days of her life” (10-12, ESV). Grandpa had a good wife, and he knew
it. That’s why they were married for almost sixty-five years before he passed.
Grandma’s heart was with Grandpa. She once told me that her family was her mission
field. Grandpa did not give his life to Jesus until he was in his seventies. Nevertheless,
every Sunday she would kiss him goodbye and ask him if he wanted to go to church
with her. He declined for decades, but that didn’t stop her from trying. She once told me
that the reason she only went to church on Sunday mornings was that she didn’t think it
was a good witness to Grandpa because she was afraid he would resent the church if
she was there all the time and not with him. That made a real and lasting mark on me.
“She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands... She rises while it is yet
night and provides food for her household...” (13, 15a). Grandma was one of the
hardest working people I have met. She stayed home with her children while they were
growing up. But when the youngest went off to kindergarten, Grandma went to work. I
know she cleaned houses for awhile, and eventually she worked for G.C. Murphy’s,
from where she retired. Though working outside the home, Grandma continued to keep
her home (including cooking every day),taking care of Grandpa and her children, going
to church, and spending daily time in God’s Word. Even after retirement, she worked
part time, had some of her great-grandchildren over a couple times a week, kept her
home and yard, spent daily time with the Lord, went to church, and, of course, took care
of Grandpa. Somedays when she woke up not feeling well or she was tired, her advice

to herself was “get up and get moving.” She said that always made her feel better. She
loved to be busy, especially doing things with or for her family.
“She opens her hands to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy” (20).
At her funeral this week, a former neighbor of my grandmother’s told me how often
Grandma would bring food to people in their neighborhood who were sick or who had
lost a loved one. I had seen her do that many times for funeral dinners at her church. I
know she visited many who were in the hospital or nursing homes. Grandma loved the
Lord and wanted to be His “hands and feet.” She shared what she had, especially her
time. On many occasions when I was in need, and even when I wasn’t, I was the
recipient of the generosity of her time. I am so grateful for that.
“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come” (25).
Grandma was such a spiritually strong person. She lost two children, her first and last,
in their infancy. She lost her husband too. I remember once that a well-meaning relative
asked Grandma after Grandpa’s death if she wanted to go to be with Grandpa. Her
answer was short and to the point: no, God still had work for her to do. And, of course,
He did. She never worried about the future; she knew the One that held it.
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her
tongue” (26). Grandma was not one to offer unsolicited advice, but somehow, God
always used her to give me, and I am sure others, wisdom when I needed it. As a young
wife and mother, Grandma gave me the assurance that I was doing fine. She helped me
navigate troubles and trials in my life with her godly peace, letting me know that “this too
shall pass.” I will miss her calm assurance and words of encouragement that she
shared liberally.
“Her children rise up and call her blessed...” (28a). My uncle, Grandma’s
youngest son, delivered the funeral message yesterday. His desire was to honor his
mother while glorifying God. He reached his goal. The words he spoke about Grandma
were a tribute to a woman who devoted her life to God and to her family and a tribute to
the God that she loves. Grandma often said that she did not know how people
navigated life without Jesus because she knew she couldn’t. I know that every one of
her family has something wonderful to say about her. We call her blessed because she
blessed us.
Let me pause to say something about how Grandma came to be a godly woman.
If you think Grandma is in heaven today because of all the good works she has done,
you are sorely mistaken. Good works cannot save anyone. Grandma did those good
things, not to be right with God, but because she was right with God. She did good
things out of the overflow of her heart. Grandma is in heaven today because she
believed in Jesus for salvation. Romans 10:9-10 tells us how to join Grandma in heaven
when we die: “...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one
believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” If you are

reading this and you don’t know Christ as your Savior, I would urge you to follow
Romans 10:9. This is the only way to be saved from your sins. Then get a Bible and
start reading and find a Bible-teaching church to grow in your new-found faith in Christ.
I want to close with the closing words of Proverbs 31:29-30 as a final blessing to
my dear, sweet grandmother: “‘Many women have done excellently, but you surpass
them all.’ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to
be praised.” I love you, Grandma, and I cannot wait to see you again!

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