This past week, my beloved Mother celebrated her 80th birthday. It does not seem possible that she has reached this age---I still see her as the Mother of my childhood days. Still, I am so blessed to have her with me and to be able to talk with her daily. She has been such a blessing to me.
Mother has always been the most godly woman I know. I cannot remember a time when she was not prayerful for Daddy and all five of her children. I have the most wonderful memories of hearing my precious Mother call my name in prayer. I would lay in my bed at night and listen to the sound of her voice as she prayed for her family and for the body of Christ. I recall fondly hearing her talk to God like she was talking to her best friend, telling Him how much she loved Him, how she depended on Him, and how she was proud to serve Him. Her prayers left their imprint upon my young heart and are the reason, I am sure, that prayer is so much a part of my own walk with God. She was, indeed, a praying Mother.
In addition to being a true prayer warrior, Mother carried God's word with her everywhere she went. A Bible was never far from her reach. I have seen her read a passage of scripture, then hold the closed Bible close to her heart. It was as if she was pressing His word into her spirit. To this day, Bible reading is the first thing Mother does in the morning. She never fails to start the day with prayer and scripture. I do not know how many times she has read the Bible through, but I know that she is consistently in the Word.
To say that Mother lives what she believes is an understatement. Never have I seen a life in Christ lived more faithfully than in the life of my Mother. Her faith never wavers, never falters, and is completely secure in the God she loves and serves. In the midst of the worst adversity, I have watched my Mother lean on the promises of God's Word to see her through. She has borne her sorrows and her joys with the utmost grace.
I am fully aware that my Mother is not perfect, no one is. She has her faults and her shortcomings just like anyone else. Throughout my life, however, I have chosen not to see them. I have chosen to look at the beauty in my Mother's life---there has been much to see. She is, and always has been, a woman of God.
To say that I love my Mother is, again, an understatement. She is the woman I admire the most---the woman I trust the most---the woman I love the most. When I think of holy people, I think of my Mother. She has been my mentor, my teacher, my friend. She has been, for all of my life, my beautiful Mother.
In Grace,
Marie
This is such a beautiful and touching post about your mother. You are so blessed that you still have your sweet mother.
ReplyDeleteMy mother died in 1975 .... and I still miss her so much!