Thanks Mom

 5/8/2022

Proverbs 31:28 "Her children rise up and called her blessed. Her husband also, and he praises her."

I have taken a few days off from blogging because I wasn't feeling well. Stress often does that to me. I am feeling much better today, so I am back to it once again. For the few of you who do read daily, my apologies. 

Today is Mother's Day. I think it is right for there to be a day celebrating mothers, as most of them are unsung heroes all year long. It is good for children to pause once a year to reflect on how important their mothers have been on their journey. It has been said many times that mothers wear a lot of hats throughout any given day, without expecting praise or gratitude. The best moms lead by example and teach their children how to live by showing them. I know this was true of my mom. She raised five children, often alone because my father was a Merchant Marine. She took care of everything in the house and all of us kids, which I know was not easy. I cannot imagine having teenagers and toddlers at the same time, but that is exactly what my mom had. So much energy coming from both age groups, but she handled it all with grace. We always had clean clothes, nourishing food, and a safe place to call home. She cared for us when we were sick or hurting, and she didn't expect anything in return. She was a very petite lady who was a powerhouse of strength. 

One of the biggest influences my mother had on me was her deeply devoted faithfulness. She was not only faithful to my dad for the 30 years they had together (and beyond), but she was faithful to Jesus until her very last breathe. She didn't tell her children about how to be a Christian; she lived it. She was devout all of my childhood and continued to grow on her faith journey. The last five years of her live, while she suffered the effects of stroke, were the most faith-driven of her life. Even though this time is often fraught with sad and difficult memories of our vibrant mom being so fragile and incapacitated, for me it was filled with conversations about her love for Jesus and His love for her. She could have been frustrated or angry while shaking her fist heavenward, asking the unanswerable question, "why?" But instead, she exuded peace, grace, and faith. Shortly after the stroke, she told me she had a dream that she was going to be a minister and speak to many people about Jesus. This happened every time she shared the love of Jesus with everyone that came into her small world. Even through her brokenness, her bright blue eyes shined, and the Holy Spirit power was evident to all that were around her. It was so amazing and inspirational, and I am forever grateful that God gave me such a wonderful mom. 

Love you mom, forever and always.