Nana Gentry

Padre Bob

Advice from Nana Gentry

By Bob Blackman

They were one block east of the Emerald Isle Motor Inn in Sydney, British Colombia when she saw her sitting in front of Tanner’s Bookstore. The nose wasn’t quite right, nor was the mouth. But there was no doubt; those were Nana Gentry’s eyes. Nana Gentry always said, “The eyes are the mirror of the soul,” and in that brief instant when she saw her from the bus, Chelsea knew the old woman had Nana’s soul. The bus continued another block to the motor inn where Amber, Ellie and Chelsea were spending a three-day weekend away from the hustle and bustle of life at the University of Washington.

Ruth was 17 years old when she married Tom Gentry, a twenty two year old preacher boy in Snohomish, Washington. They were happily married for twenty-five years until the day Tommy was killed by a drunk driver while walking to the corner store. That was just five months before Chelsea was born. Tom and Ruth had one son, John Gentry, who followed in his father’s footsteps and became a preacher in Anacortes. Chelsea Gentry’s mother, Elizabeth, died giving birth to her, and Nana Gentry, her dad’s mother, moved in with them. Nana Gentry was the only mother Chelsea ever knew. Nana is dead now, she died a little more than a year ago, during the summer of Chelsea’s junior year in high school.

Even though she felt stupid doing it, Chelsea purposely awoke before Amber and Ellie the next morning, quietly dressed and walked one block to where Nana Gentry was sitting on the bench reading a book. There were things going on in her life that Chelsea really needed to talk to her Nana about. She sat down next to her on the bench, thinking it fortunate there was no one else on the street. I’m already feeling foolish, I certainly don’t need an audience. She thought.

Nana Gentry was reading from her Bible, something Chelsea had witnessed her doing every morning for as long as she could remember. “Nana, I hope you don’t mind me interrupting you.”

Her answer was the same as Chelsea had heard a thousand times before, Chelsea, darling, you are never an interruption.

“I’m a student at the University of Washington,” she said, “I know you wanted me to go to a Bible College, but this seemed to me the best place to study Psychology. Papa said, it would be okay as long as I remembered that I was going there as a missionary. I love my studies, but there really aren’t very many Christians living on campus. Nana, I truly am trying to be an ambassador for Christ while I am there. Not even my dorm-mates Amber and Ellie, are believers, but I’m working on them.”

As was her custom, Nana just listened. Chelsea would often talk for hours, bearing her soul, and Nana wouldn’t say a word until Chelsea actually asked for her advice. Once asked though, she would tell her actually what she thought without reservations.

An old man walked by and saw Chelsea talking to the old woman. He stood for a moment, listening, then just shook his head and walked on by. After he moved on, Chelsea said, “Nana, I made Papa a promise before I left for college. I promised I would not date during my freshman year. So far, I’ve kept that promise … well technically anyway.

“It started on our third night on campus. There was coffee and Danish dorm meeting that my dorm-mates and I went to. This boy Dan was sitting at the head table. He was a Junior and was giving a welcome speech. Nana, he was absolutely dreamy and I keep looking at him. Then I noticed that he was looking at me too. After his speech he came over to our table.”

“Hi, I’m Dan Paulson,” he said, “but my dad’s name isn’t Paul.” It was a lame joke but it made me laugh. Ellie just stared at him like he was crazy or something. He invited me to go with him to a Huskies-for-Christ meeting and like a good girl, I told him I didn’t date.

“Well,” he said, “bring your friends with you. Then it won’t be a date, just some college students going to the same meeting.”

“Ellie didn’t even smile, she just looked him in the eye and said, ‘We’re not into that Christian stuff.’ She can really be nasty when she sets her mind to it.

“I really wanted to tell him I was a Christian, but it meant dealing with the date request so I didn’t say anything. Anyway, he just shrugged his shoulders and walked away.

“The next morning I was sitting in the campus dining room eating breakfast. I had my Bible with me. It was sitting on the floor under my chair. Dan walked up, bent over, and picked up my Bible, ‘I thought you weren’t into that Christian stuff.’

“I said, ‘My roommates aren’t, but I am. My dad is a preacher.’

“Then, he sat down and started asking me all about papa’s church and about when I became a believer. It was eight a.m. and I didn’t have a class until eleven, so we just talked for almost three hours. Nana, he’s really nice. He doesn’t think God is calling him to be a preacher but he does plan on being in full time ministry. He’s studying engineering and thinking God could use him as a missionary in some third world country.

“Anyway, I went to the Huskies-for-Christ meeting with him that evening. I didn’t let him pick me up or walk me home so it really wasn’t a date, but we did sit together at the meeting. Afterwards, he invited me to go to church with him. I talked Amber and Ellie into going with me so it wouldn’t seem like a date. I’ve been going for three weeks now, but after the first time, Ellie and Amber refused to go anymore. I don’t know what to do, Nana. I like Dan, I like his church and I like going to Huskies-for-Christ. Technically, I haven’t broken my promise to Papa. But I really like Dan, and I’m really feeling guilty.”

Child, you shouldn’t be sitting here talking to a statute. You need to talk to your papa.

“I can’t talk to him. He’ll think I broke my promise. What if he tells me I can’t see Dan anymore. What if he tells me I shouldn’t be at the university? I can’t talk to him, he’d be too disappointed in me.”

Chelsea, no one loves you like your papa loves you. Remember the prodigal son …

“That’s not the same…” but Chelsea immediately knew the principle was the same and she verbalized the words, “I will arise and go to my father.”

Chelsea practically ran back to the Emerald Isle.

“Where have you been?” Ellie asked. “We were starting to worry. ”

“No need to worry, but I can’t stay. I need to catch the next ferry back to Anacortes.”

“But we’ve got two more days here. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Everything is fine, or at least I’m pretty sure it will be,” she said while packing everything into her suitcase. “I just need to talk to my papa. Here’s my third of the motel bill. I’ll explain everything on Monday.”

Ellie and Amber just stood there dumbfounded while Chelsea raced to the corner and boarded the first bus that came by. As they drove past Tanner’s Bookstore, Chelsea prayed a quiet thank you for her Nana Gentry.

END