Our all-wise and gracious God created mothers. One of the greatest blessings in life is a loving, godly mother. I am blessed with such a mother. If your mother doesn’t fit this description, please don’t stop reading. God wants to comfort you and help you. The God of resurrection can take past patterns of pain and turn them into paths of peace.
This month we have the privilege to walk in the shoes of two special moms through the tributes of their grateful daughters. May God use these examples to encourage and challenge us. And most of all, may we have hope for the future – because with God’s strength, it is possible to bless our families and honor Him in this adventure called Motherhood.
“My mom and I have an amazing
relationship, I do not take it for granted as I’m keenly aware there are many
mother-daughter relationships that are highly strained.
I am blessed to have a mom
who sacrificed her time for me. One of
my fondest memories is that she would always be awake when I came home late
from a youth activity, friend’s house or sporting event. We would sit in the kitchen talking into the
wee hours of the night. I am the
youngest of three kids and I’m certain her first full night of sleep came the
day after I got married!
Not only did my mom sacrifice
for me, but she modeled what it looked like to sacrifice her time and talents
for others. She was always baking
goodies for others and doing little acts of kindness for people on the
sly. I learned from her that there is
great joy in giving to others even when no one else is looking.
My mom taught me that her
faith and relationship to God was important. Nearly every morning, my mom would
be sitting in her favorite chair reading her Bible. She was never showy in her walk with God, but
I always knew her faith was very important to her.
My mom showed me how to live
a life of simplicity. She is an incredibly
organized person, thrifty in using what she has and never complained or
compared her status with others.
Overall, my mom taught me her
life motto, which has become mine – “Love God and serve others”, which
basically summaries everything that stand out most to me about my mom.
Because of the time my mom
invested in my life, I can wholeheartedly say that next to my husband she is my
best friend.”
– Jennifer, Minnesota
“I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by, so here are
the top five things my mom has taught me. It was hard to narrow it down to just five 🙂 !
1. My mom taught me that the Bible and my relationship
with Jesus Christ are the most important things in life. She always took us to
church and we studied the Bible together after supper. Over the years, she
taught children in Good News Clubs, Sunday School, and also in Vacation
Bible School and most recently in our church’s AWANA club. She is a great
storyteller and each generation of kids loves to hear her missionary stories.
But more importantly, she showed her Christianity in her daily walk with
God.
2. My mom’s nickname is “Sunny” and she lives up to that
name. She’s never met a stranger, but is always striking up a conversation with
the waitress, a health care worker at my aunt’s nursing home, or someone at the
gym. She’s very friendly and upbeat.
3. She is very generous and wants to do whatever she can
to meet someone’s need. When they needed someone to lead the children’s choir,
she stepped up. When they needed someone to teach English to international
students, she said, “I can do that.” When we needed a place to live, she opened
up her home to us. Years later, when my son needed a place to live, she said,
“Sure, Justin can live with us until he gets married!” If she could, she would
give you “the shirt off her back”!
4. She’s always ready and willing to learn something new
or do something fun. She took on a project to scan all her family’s old photos
and make digital albums for each family. She loves playing word games like
“Take Two” with Scrabble tiles or Quiddler with whoever will take her on. (She
usually wins!)
5. Whatever happens to her in life, she takes it as from
the Lord. When I had a traumatic event of a job loss happen in my life, I went
on crying jags and acted like it was the end of the world. In contrast, Mom was
recently diagnosed with terminal cancer (leukemia) and her reaction was totally
different. She didn’t rant or rave, but found appropriate Scripture verses to
share with the doctors and nurses who have been treating her. Even though she
tires easily (a new concept for her!), she still keeps up with her five kids,
twelve grandkids, and five great-grandchildren plus her husband, Rod, of 61
years!
Thanks for giving me this opportunity to brag about my
mom. We treasure our time with her and it’s been fun to condense what she’s
taught me in five short points!”
– Cindy Albertson, Iowa
Proverbs 31: 28a, 30, 31
Women on God's Mission 
Jennifer,
Loved your article about your Mom. She was truly a blessing to me as a campus Mom back at Northland. Her treats and hospitality brightened many a day. Thanks for sharing!
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