For the Mother

This is the stuff legends are made of.

My mother spent mother's day on an airplane. She spent the weekend in Minneapolis caring for one of her grandbabies....traveling many miles to watch Heidi so that I could attend a wedding. Instead of a brunch, my mom had limited leg room and a two hour layover in Cleveland. Instead of a pile of presents, she had a long day with a "high maintenance" baby.

Cards and gifts just seem silly compared to how much she gives.

Five years ago, I couldn't imaging celebrating mother's day as a mother. My mom and I were in a bookstore and saw a reprinted Lois Lenski book, The Easter Day Parade. We had both loved her books when I was little and always had a few of them from our local library.


You should get that for your kids! Mom said. At that time in my life, five years ago, I thought I would never meet anyone or have kids of my own. I thought I had made my bed, so to speak, and that marriage, family, and children were missed opportunities. I said something to that effect.

A few weeks after that, I received the above book in the mail from my mom. No letters, no "it will happen for you someday!" hallmark hopefulness. Just a silent symbol of what I knew she was praying for.

I read a small devotional by Miles Stanford shortly after entitled The Green Letters. Expect to be blessed, Stanford says in the book. No, he's not preaching a "health and wealth" Gospel. He's preaching the truth. As children of the King, we can expect blessing, no matter what form it comes in. Like a mom who goes to the ends of the earth for her kids. Like the promises that children are. And most of all, for the hope that we can pass on wordlessly in small ways, like Lois Lenski books. When I got that book from my mom, I started daring to pray for a family of my own.

Thanks Mom.