I want to say how much I appreciate my mom. I know I have been blessed beyond measure to have a mother like I have. I understand not everyone has had that kind of example or role model in their lives. I don’t write all this to belittle anyone who doesn’t have a Godly mom or to discount any other mother out there but I do want to give honor where honor is due...(Romans 13:7 —Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due ; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.)
My mom has been such a powerful, Godly influence in my life. She has been such an example of unconditional love and sacrifice to my brother and I over the course of our lives.
She cared enough to get “involved” in our lives. Her main focus was on training her children in the ways of the Lord. She started “training” us when we were still babies. As a result, my brother and I both developed a personal relationship with the Lord at a very young age.
My dad has always been a very hard working man. He often worked side jobs in addition to his regular full time job to provide an extra source of income for our family. Thus, a lot of times, due to Dad working a lot, he was gone from the home frequently during the days/evenings but Mom still “trained“ us kids—praying with us, reading/studying the Word of God, talking to us, making sure we were doing well spirituallly...
My parents were also very involved in working for our church, ministering to people, and helping people in need when we were growing up. My brother and I (and many of our friends lol 😂) were always included! We were right there with our parents—working along beside them, whether it was moving a family to a new home, painting the foundation blocks at our church, mowing grass for an elderly person, or cleaning for a church event or whatever was going on at the moment. They both taught us the value of hard work. They showed us how to sacrifice for others or the good of the church. It was never done grudgingly. It was simply a way of life for us. We had so much fun while we were serving others. I could go on and on with funny stories of things that happened or how much enjoyment we had doing service for God/others. Mom and Dad (along with many other parents of our youth group would sacrifice and use their vacation time and take us to church meetings and youth camps—often sleeping in tents/ or uncomfortable dorm bunk beds— all just to get all of us young people in the presence of the Lord.
Looking back on all that now, I am so thankful for parents that showed us the true meaning of sacrifice, hard work, and how to be a servant. God used them mightily to shape our lives. No, they weren’t perfect; they made mistakes but they allowed God to lead them and to guide them on how to raise us kids. We would never be where we are today if it hadn’t been for a mom and a dad who were committed first and foremost to the Lord!
They knew we were watching their example. They never told us to do something they didn’t do themselves. They led by example. They tried their best to “keep the Devil out”...
At times, we may not have understood their decisions or their reasoning, we knew we could trust them...Their motives were pure—They loved us and they were looking out for our best interests. They always took the time to explain the “why nots”— and they always implemented the law of substitution/replacement. Yes, the answer may have been “no” on a few things but there was usually always something better!! They actually kept us from fighting alot of unnecessary battles and from having scars that we didn’t have to have by being able to look down the road at what something would lead to or open the door for and stopping it way before it ever got to us. Many times, people would say stuff like - “You are too strict ! Don’t you trust your kids?” Mom’s reply was - “Yes, I do trust my kids. I just don’t trust the Devil!”
(Wise mama!)
My mother taught me how to care for a husband by her very example. My mom always had a meal waiting on my dad each day when he got home (or ready to/being prepared for). She kept a neat and tidy home. She taught us kids to respect our dad. As babies, she would make sure to have us all “psyched” up for Daddy to come home—we would be waiting at the door for his arrival.
My mom didn’t expect my dad to work all day and then come home and help with the household chores. (Except taking out the trash and mowing, my dad hardly did anything as far as regular household cleaning chores— my mom usually always had all that taken care of way before he ever got home—(once after my mom had surgery, my dad tried to do laundry. He didn’t even know how to operate the washing machine! lol 😂 )
My mom never put down my dad or talked bad about him (or anyone else for that matter!) in front of us kids. She was very cautious of her words in general around us. She knew that her off handed remarks and words would one day shape our own thoughts and opinions. She was of the firm belief that “if you don’t have something nice to say about someone - don’t say anything at all... Don’t tear down someone else or their reputation !!” Because in the end, practicing backbiting, tale bearing, or gossip will actually destroy your spiritual walk with the Lord instead.”
My mom taught us to forgive people — to take the low road and apologize even if we weren’t really the ones at fault. She recognized we must be taught to value and preserve unity and be taught to further the kingdom of Heaven. We must not allowing our flesh to be in control. We cannot yield to selfish, carnal feelings. My mom wasn’t one of those mothers whose children could do no wrong. We joke now that Mom’s motto back then was “Guilty until proven innocent!” 😂
She taught us respect for authority. (Even if you don’t agree with the authority’s opinion, you must always respect the office that person holds.) There were several instances of stuff that happened when we were kids, and it would have to so easy to have said something negative or to talk bad about that person/situation but my parents never allowed that kind of conversation in our home. My mom always said if there was any fault, we should just take it to God in prayer. He, alone, could change it but He would bless us in the meantime, if we would do what He commanded us and respect the person of authority.
Even more importantly, Mom instilled a healthy “fear of the Lord” in both of us. As young toddlers, we were taught to behave in church. Mom never tolerated any “goofing off” or talking in church. (She has this throat clearing thing she did to alert/warn us of any behavior she didnt approve of—our church got so used to my mom doing that to us (especially toward my brother!) that when my mom would clear her throat, half the church would look at me or my brother to see what we were up to!!—so much so that one day, she was just naturally clearing her throat and everyone looked at my brother to see what he was doing and he, himself, immediately looked at her to see what infraction he was guilty of...Lol! 😂 False alarm! )
After a certain age, we weren’t allowed to bring toys or other distractions to church. We were instructed to be “present” and to listen in church— participating ourselves in the service when we were very young. We were taught to reverence and to respect God’s house. Mom always said the house of God wasn’t our living room. It was a Holy place!
We were taught not only to pray and how to pray, but we were taught to respect other people talking to God. We were never allowed to interrupt Mom while she was praying. A funny story that illustrated this was: one day, my brother (around 5 yrs old at the time) and I (about 8 years old ) were outside playing-I was on a bicycle at the time. I had a collision with a metal awning and cut a nasty gash on my leg. It was bleeding pretty badly. My brother helped me to the house to get to Mom for her to bandage it. When we walked in, we quickly realized that Mom was having a special guest over—the Holy Ghost...She wasn't even aware of our presence so my brother decided to “fix” me himself. When Mom finally got done praying and came into the kitchen, we both were sitting on the kitchen counter surrounding by first aid supplies! My poor brother— he was
working valiantly on my wound but as you can imagine, a 5 year old isn’t that proficient in wound care/ bandaging. My mom asked us why we didn’t holler for her. My brother replied, “You were praying, Mommy! I couldn’t interrupt!” Lol 😂
As an adult, as I look back over my life, I realize I have been so blessed to have had such a wonderful example of a Godly mama. I have seen her go through the ups and downs of life. I have seen her in the good times and the bad times—in sickness and in health. You know, sometimes, it’s not when someone is regaling in victory that their example shines the brightest, but rather, when they are in the fiercest battle of their life. My mom hasn’t been perfect and she will be the first to admit it...but she doesn’t have an ounce of quit in her. She has pressed on when her body didn’t feel like it, when her spirit was in midst of spiritual warfare. She has been faithful to God no matter the situation. She has never allowed circumstances to dictate her walk with God. She has always been the same day in and day out. If there is any words that would come to my mind when I think about my mom, it might be
Faithful—like I said, she has always been the same day in and day out. Always without fail—she reads her Bible and prays daily. It is part of her. She is faithful to God and to church- it was never a question of whether or not we were going to church growing up. It was a given—if the doors were open, we were there!
Dedicated—she is completely focused and committed to the Lord. She serves the Lord whole heartily in her many roles as wife, mom, gramma, and most importantly, as a Christian .
Trustworthy—you can trust her.
Dependable—you can count on her. If she says she will do it, she will...
Honest—she is truthful in every avenue of life. (even in the seemly meaningless things that most people wouldn’t even consider)
Compassionate—she has empathy for others and always seeks to help in whatever way she can.
Leader— she is a natural leader. She does amazing at organizing and planning things.
Courageous—She isn’t one to beat around the bush. She faces adversity head-on. She has always tried to do things the Bible way and not let things fester but immediately deals with a problem/issue to get it fixed.
Unselfish—She truly exhibits this one. She will give of herself completely despite her own discomfort...
Loyal—She taught loyalty to my brother and I by the way we saw her live. She has never allowed someone else’s conduct to determine hers. She is loyal to the core.
Hard-working—Like I mentioned above, my mom is one of the hardest working people I know. She rarely sits down. She is always busy doing something.
Responsible—again, along the same lines as being dependable, being responsible is something that my mom drilled into our heads as children. Do whatever is required of you with your whole heart as unto the Lord!
Humble—my mom is a very humble person. She doesn’t think of herself... (The true definition of humility isn’t “to think less of yourself” but rather, not to think of yourself at all.) She has always tried to take the low road. She has never been too prideful to say “I’m sorry” or “Hey, I messed up. Will you forgive me?”
Don’t need the credit —My mom has always been one of the unsung heroes. She is often found “behind the scenes”... quietly doing whatever is required without complaint. She rarely gets any of the credit she deserves but she doesn’t need the limelight. She doesn’t desire for people to brag on her or to recognize all her achievements. She has always said if she could please the Lord, that’s all that matters !
and the list could go on and on...
Growing up, my mom didn’t show me how to be perfect and never make mistakes, but rather, how to serve the Lord with a whole heart and if you do stumble, what to do when you mess up and how to get right back up again... Every avenue of our home was build on the Lord. My mom always viewed each thing through the lens of Scripture—whether it was going to draw us closer to God or draw us away from Him. She wanted to please the Lord in every decision she made with us kids. She allowed God to instruct her on how to deal with the things we faced and in turn, she taught that to us.
Her “little talks” with me have made such an impact on my life. I now find myself carrying on the tradition with those same “little talks” with my own children. My mom is definitely blessed with the skill of communication. She has always been such a gifted speaker. She has a way with words that really seems to break things down and make them become more understandable. She has been used of the Lord many times to talk to people and help them through struggles or issues...She never gave anyone her own opinion or what she thought about something. She always stayed right in the Word Of God. The Word of God is true ! It is still relevant! It still works!!
Even as an adult, I lean on her for strength and affirmation. I’m always seeking her advice on one thing or another. As old as I am, I still feel like a unsure kid at times (like I know if I can get to Mom, everything will be ok.) Although she raised us to stand on our own two feet, she was always there peripherally—to catch us should we fall. She never tried to take the problems away from us but she helped equip us on how to deal them Biblically. She prayed for us and with us. Her daily example—her personal walk with the Lord was a shining light to our young, tender hearts.
I hope she knows just how much I love and appreciate her. I have been so blessed by her influence. I hope I can be at least half the woman of God that my mother is—(I need that double portion like Elisha cried out for!)
My prayer is that I, too, can teach my own children “who God is” by my daily walk just like she revealed the character of God to us by her example !
Happy Mother’s Day, Love you, Mom! ❤️