Day 5: My Great Grandma Hoover

Main Idea

My great-grandma Hoover grew up in tough circumstances in the hill country of south Texas. She married at fifteen, and raised nine children through the Depression, through war, and through a husband’s struggle with alcoholism. By the world’s standards, she didn’t have much. But she had her faith, her hands, and a heart that refused to stop giving.

She sold eggs and saved the money so her sons could buy engagement rings. I’m told she made the fluffiest rolls and the best roast you ever tasted, and she got her greatest joy from feeding the preachers who came through town. She kept her family in church even when life gave her every reason to quit. She found her strength in God and did whatever was necessary — not only to survive, but to bless the people around her.

No one wrote articles about her. She never stood on a stage. She was a little farm girl from nowhere special. But I wouldn’t be in ministry today if it weren’t for her sacrifices. And not just me… my grandpa who served the same church in Texas as pastor for fifty years and then served another ten years here at NewSpring, my dad who the Lord has blessed for over 40 years as our pastor, and many other family members who’ve served the Lord—we’re all part of her legacy. 

That’s what faithful burden-bearing looks like over the long haul. It’s not flashy. It’s dinner on the table when money is tight. It’s holding the family together when the foundation is cracking. It’s using whatever God gave you — even if it’s just eggs and flour — to lighten someone else’s load. And the ripple effects are beyond anything you could imagine.

Here’s the part that might surprise you: your hardest experiences might be your greatest qualifications. Paul says God comforts us so that we can comfort others. That means the pain you’ve walked through isn’t wasted. The struggles, the tears, the seasons that almost broke you — God was doing something in those moments. He was shaping you into someone who knows exactly what it feels like to carry a heavy load. And that means you’re uniquely equipped to help someone else carry theirs.

What Else the Bible Says About This

• 1 Peter 4:10 — God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
• Proverbs 31:20 — She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.
• Romans 12:13 — When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
• Hebrews 13:16 — And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

Let’s Apply This…

You don’t need a platform to bear someone’s burden. You just need whatever God already placed in your hands. Maybe it’s the gift of listening. Maybe it’s speaking well of someone that everyone else seems to have fun criticizing. Maybe it’s an experience you’ve been through that someone else is walking through right now, and you’re the one person who can say, “I know exactly what that feels like.” Take a moment today and ask God: what have you given me that could lighten someone else’s load this week? Then use it — even if it feels small. Especially if it feels small. God loves to do extraordinary things through ordinary offerings.

God’s Message to You

“I never waste your pain. Every hard thing you’ve walked through, every season that tested you, every night you wondered if you’d make it — I was right there with you, and I was preparing you for something. Not just to survive, but to help someone else survive. You don’t need to have all the answers. You don’t need to impress people. Just take what I’ve put in your hands — your story, your gifts, your willingness — and offer them to someone who’s carrying more than they can hold. You’d be amazed at what I can do with eggs and flour.”
(Based on 2 Corinthians 1:3–4; 1 Peter 4:10; Hebrews 13:16)