My mother was not born into a family that showed her a great deal of love-maybe you can relate?  Her father and mother divorced when she was very young and she had to spend a great deal of time with a babysitter who really showed very little interest while her mother worked to support them.  Her father remarried a woman with two children who became the apple of his eye, while his own two daughters took second chair.  My mother slept on a cot while he bought new bunk beds for the step children. My mother cleaning for all of them while she lived with him and so on…Can I tell you that at the end of my grandfathers life my mother is literally all he had and he lived with my parents.  She cared for him until he passed away a few years ago.  She certainly honored her parents just as the Lord has commanded, even though they were not always easy to honor–it’s funny… My mom would have never thought that herself, it was all she knew.  I know when she gets to heaven the Lord will say well done daughter to her for being His hands and feet to them; for while she was entrusted into their care she truly was the caregiver. 

My mother’s mother had never been shown how to love and nurture, she did the best she could; but, that resulted in very little affection for her own children.  My mother was not raised in a Christian home or one of affluence.  When she was a meager 14 years old she met my then 15 year old father, expressing their desire to marry they approached their parents.  My fathers parents approved but my mothers parents did not.  My mother conceived me and they reapproached her parents.  My mother’s father wanted an abortion but thankfully her mother conceded.  My parents were married on December 16, 1972 at the ages of 14 and 16.  My mother turned 15 the very next month in January and I was born a meager 4 months after that in May.  Hence, our family was born.  Obviously, being married at such young ages, my parents have faced many trials and tribulations.  Financial woes being at the top of the list.  My mother went on to have my two brothers along with three precious babies that were fortunate enough to grow up in heaven.  

My mother came to know Christ at an earlier age than my father.  Her stepmother did take her to church and because of her father being so lacking she looked to her Heavenly Father to fill the role.  Young in their marriage my parents started attending church together-it had always just been mom, me and my brothers until this point.   The tide upon my families shores were forever changed.  Thank you Jesus for calling us out of the pit of despair and propelling us into the light.  My parents celebrated their forty-second wedding anniversary in December.  Let me say growing up we never had the money for beach vacations, Disneyworld, or any other vacation for that matter.  We could not afford the latest and the greatest and at times lived with my grandparents while power and water were shut off.  But we never lacked in love.  The entrance of Christ into our family changed our family.  My parents have always shared a deep, abiding love with each other and with us children.  But when Christ entered the scene into our family unit as a whole our lives had new focus, new meaning.  Were things easy?  No, we faultered and failed at times just as every family does.  After all perfection isn’t obtainable this side of heaven.  Despite the financial struggles simple traditions were born in our family.  Do you have these?  My mom and I would read books together.  She read to me as a child and as I grew I would read to her while she cooked dinner.  We cooked together, we shared Julie Andrews, Lucille Ball, Shirley Temple, and others.  We had late night talks as I would most often fall asleep in their bed every night as a teenager.  Her mostly listening with some dosing off 😉. Dad would always send me to my own bed when he came in.  

Today my mom and I are sharing Christ and our deep love for Him.  I am so very thankful for a mother who wanted a different path for her own family and took the steps to make those changes.  Mothers set the stage for their families in more ways than one.  Our attitude, our demeanor determines the attitude and demeanor of our family.  Are we late? Everyone is late.  Are we grouchy?  Everyone is grouchy.  Are we sad?  Everyone feels those emotions.  However, if we are happy, upbeat, positive about situations, then generally our families will follow.  The pressure on mothers to set the stage for their families is great and I honestly do not know how anyone could do this effectively without a guiding hand.  A guiding hand that is sovereign over all things.  I have always heard how very effective a mother’s prayers for her family can be.  I believe this with my whole being.  Money can buy so many things in our world but it cannot buy a loving mother.  That is something the Lord is in charge of.  Did you have a loving mother?  Do you have a loving mother?  Are you a loving mother?  I hope you can answer yes to at least one of these.  Make an effort to start traditions in your family–your children will love them–they will become their greatest memories.  They will reach into future generations of your family touching lives of your future littles that you may never physically see. Some of the things I do for my children are: waking them in the morning with some silly made up jingle, playing music in my kitchen just about always– I love big band swing music because I loved that time but so much more plays as well, cooking their special favorites, making a BIG deal of their birthdays, having movie nights, listening to them when they talk to me, teaching them the Word of God thorough my success and failures.  Children need to see their parents fail and how they respond.  I try to speak words of love to them and ask for forgiveness when speaking in anger.

I would love to tell you that today my family does not struggle financially but that is not the case, we do.  But that is OK because the love is ever stronger and when the money of the world passes away love will be the tie that binds and welcomes us home.   My prayer for you all is that if you are not a Godly mother you become one and change the tide that falls upon your families shores.

Thanks mom for changing the tide in our family and loving us enough to create special memories that money could never buy.  

Loving you always mom–HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Your daughter here–April