Mom
Mother's Day is upon us. And as we approach it, Ann Voskamp, has issued a challenge. Will those of us who are faithfully counting to 1,000 gifts, will 1,000 of us stop and publicly thank our moms? Thank Him for our moms. And if we do, we not only bless our own mothers, but mothers in Haiti as well through Compassion. It's call the 1,000 Moms Project.
"The 1000 Moms Project is about 1000 people standing up and thanking their mom publicly (what mom doesn’t want a gift like this for Mother’s Day?) – and we’ll match your honoring of mothers by funding a Maternity/Child Survival Program in Haiti for a whole year. (You can read all about it here)"
So, thank you, Mom. Because of you, I know what unconditional love looks like. You love like no one I know. You have loved me always, even at my worst (can we say those teenage years were rough sometimes? :) ). You have loved my husband like you birthed him, like he is your son, not your son-in-law. You love my children. Most of all, you love my dad. You've shown me faithful, covenant love in your marriage.
Because of you, I understand the servant's heart. You serve like no one I know. My childhood is filled with memories of you taking care of everyone and everything. Without complaint. Truly, I just remember you serving, I don't ever remember you complaining about serving us. And you still do it. I can't keep you from helping me clean my house, or changing diapers, or blessing me with little things to decorate with, or washing the dishes after the meal, or cooking for all 13 of us.
I grew to know the love of the Savior in the way you loved me. And His servant heart in the way you served me. I am a better mother and wife because you were my example. Thank you. I love you. Happy Mother's Day.
And the beautiful thing about marriage is now I have another mother to thank, my husband's. Nana, thank you for raising my husband. Having sons, this is what I have learned. A father is incredibly important. He shows them how to be a godly man. How to follow Christ. How to lead. But a mother, she shows a son how to nurture, how to treasure, how to love. Jack is an incredible husband and father. He is patient and gentle, kind and loving. I feel so treasured by his love. Our children feel valued by his love. And I see you in the way he loves us. You were the living example of Christ in your love, your service, your mothering. He is the husband he is because of the mother you are. Thank you. I love you. Happy Mother's Day.
Ann posted this on her blog about her own mother and it reminded me so much of my mom, Jack's mom and even my own life as a mother:
And mothers, they never stop believing in the miracle of metamorphosis.
Because believing in the miracle of metamorphosis is the sum total of a mother’s job. The theological term for that is faith.
To have faith that the baby in arms will become the toddler toilet trained before 18, that the cocky juvenile hipster with the big attitude will become the concerned citizen with a baby on the hip and a big heart on the sleeve, and that kid who can never find his shoes or matching socks or math homework will be able to find a girlfriend, job and Jesus.
To have faith that what’s nearly expired in the fridge at 5:30 can do wonders with the last can of diced tomatoes in the pantry at 5:47 to astonishingly become dinner by 6:00. (And the miracle would have happened even sooner but there were those 17 minutes in between that had a telemarketer, a bandage and tourniquet application, and 2 and 3/4 fights, catastrophes and middle east (of the living room) crises to negotiate.)
It’s always the mothers, preachers and prophets who doggedly believed that leopards can lose spots and grace and angels can make pigs fly.
Mothers were made to have faith.
Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms I know. Keep counting the grace. Keep having faith.
"The 1000 Moms Project is about 1000 people standing up and thanking their mom publicly (what mom doesn’t want a gift like this for Mother’s Day?) – and we’ll match your honoring of mothers by funding a Maternity/Child Survival Program in Haiti for a whole year. (You can read all about it here)"
So, thank you, Mom. Because of you, I know what unconditional love looks like. You love like no one I know. You have loved me always, even at my worst (can we say those teenage years were rough sometimes? :) ). You have loved my husband like you birthed him, like he is your son, not your son-in-law. You love my children. Most of all, you love my dad. You've shown me faithful, covenant love in your marriage.
Because of you, I understand the servant's heart. You serve like no one I know. My childhood is filled with memories of you taking care of everyone and everything. Without complaint. Truly, I just remember you serving, I don't ever remember you complaining about serving us. And you still do it. I can't keep you from helping me clean my house, or changing diapers, or blessing me with little things to decorate with, or washing the dishes after the meal, or cooking for all 13 of us.
I grew to know the love of the Savior in the way you loved me. And His servant heart in the way you served me. I am a better mother and wife because you were my example. Thank you. I love you. Happy Mother's Day.
And the beautiful thing about marriage is now I have another mother to thank, my husband's. Nana, thank you for raising my husband. Having sons, this is what I have learned. A father is incredibly important. He shows them how to be a godly man. How to follow Christ. How to lead. But a mother, she shows a son how to nurture, how to treasure, how to love. Jack is an incredible husband and father. He is patient and gentle, kind and loving. I feel so treasured by his love. Our children feel valued by his love. And I see you in the way he loves us. You were the living example of Christ in your love, your service, your mothering. He is the husband he is because of the mother you are. Thank you. I love you. Happy Mother's Day.
Ann posted this on her blog about her own mother and it reminded me so much of my mom, Jack's mom and even my own life as a mother:
And mothers, they never stop believing in the miracle of metamorphosis.
Because believing in the miracle of metamorphosis is the sum total of a mother’s job. The theological term for that is faith.
To have faith that the baby in arms will become the toddler toilet trained before 18, that the cocky juvenile hipster with the big attitude will become the concerned citizen with a baby on the hip and a big heart on the sleeve, and that kid who can never find his shoes or matching socks or math homework will be able to find a girlfriend, job and Jesus.
To have faith that what’s nearly expired in the fridge at 5:30 can do wonders with the last can of diced tomatoes in the pantry at 5:47 to astonishingly become dinner by 6:00. (And the miracle would have happened even sooner but there were those 17 minutes in between that had a telemarketer, a bandage and tourniquet application, and 2 and 3/4 fights, catastrophes and middle east (of the living room) crises to negotiate.)
It’s always the mothers, preachers and prophets who doggedly believed that leopards can lose spots and grace and angels can make pigs fly.
Mothers were made to have faith.
Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms I know. Keep counting the grace. Keep having faith.
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