Mothers Day!

This is a very nostalgic time for me…I lost my mom just a little over a year and a half ago. I miss her so much! She was my biggest influence in life.

I walk past a mirror sometimes and am startled to see so much of her in me it catches me by surprise when this happens …as I write this my heart still aches for her. There is still not a day that goes by that I don’t think of her. I look at this picture of her and I (I keep it on my kitchen counter) everyday and I just smile at the memory of her.

My mom was such a strong person…she became a pastor’s wife at the age of 16 and my dad was 30. Talk about robbing the cradle!! She raised a family of 10 children and she was the Matriarch of our family. She was an exemplary wife and Mother!

One thing that I think of most about her is her quiet strength. I find myself looking to her whenever I deal with something that is difficult. I’ve been recalling so many of our conversations lately and I know its God’s way of keeping her close to me.

How do you deal with the loss of your mother on Mother’s Day or any other day? I’ve read a lot about this and have spoken to various people that have lost their mothers. I’ve come to understand that as Christians our mourning should be different than those that are not Christians.

Why? Well we know that our loved one is in heaven without a doubt... based on their belief that they were born again at some point in their life. That alone gives us so much peace. Therefore, we cry for their loss, we miss them, we think of them always and we remember their life and cherish the moments we had with them.

The mourning should not over power us at any point in the process ... it will take some time but it should not weigh heavy on us to the point that it changes who you are. I remember asking my Pastor about the mourning process and he said that it would take some time for us to stop crying and that will soon be replaced by nostalgia and peace. But never… should the loss overwhelm us because that would be allowing a depression to set in.

For me, I’ve mourned her in the privacy of my home with my loved ones ...and my Lord. I’ve asked the Lord for strength during this difficult time and He has granted it for me ...I look to the memories and I still hear her voice so clearly. I have my moments when I look at this picture and I feel a knot in my throat and the tears began to flow...but its a different kind of emotion one that is filled with the knowledge that I will see her again one day in eternity....

I’ve seen people mourn for a long period of time and I wonder if it has to do with the relationship they had with their mothers… maybe it was not a very good one and so I can see how that would make the process longer and more difficult…. Then if it was a tragic death I can see how that would take some time as well. Maybe there is some guilt involved of some kind. I don't know...but its a question that should be asked if you are there at some point in your life...

I was fortunate to see my mom live a long and full life...she was ready to meet her Savior. God had already prepared her for it. That’s the kind of God we serve...so tender in his love for us and he was tender to her in this preparation when she need it the most. As Christians, we need to be the example of how we mourn...our mourning is connected to our faith. If you find yourself taking too long and it overwhelms you then ask the Lord to show you why....it may be something else that has piled up on you that should not be there...

So in Memory of my Mom, I will reflect on what it means to be a good mother...because that is what she was…

Mothers are the biggest influence a child can have. There is a special bond there. If the influence was positive and good then the child will never forget that influence in their life.

There never would have been an Isaac without a Sarah, a Moses without a Jochebed, a Samuel without a Hannah, a John without an Elizabeth, a Timothy without a Eunice, or a John Mark without a Mary.

And… there would have never been a Me or You without your precious mother!
If she is still with you…embrace her and love her because there will be a time in your life that she will no longer be with you…

Happy Mother’s Day!!