How anyone could create a loving home in the midst of a chaotic family atmosphere is a mystery to me, but by the grace of God, my mother was able to accomplish that in our home. We were never quite sure if dad would be sober when he came home from work, so we stayed prepared for it just in case he wasn’t. Our life was uncertain. but one thing was sure and constant in our home: our mom’s love for us. We knew that when we got off of the school bus, she would be waiting for us to arrive.

As we got older, we often made bad choices. Did that stop mom from loving us? No. No matter how badly we fell into a sin or some trouble, we knew that we could always come home and find mom waiting for us. She never said, “I told you so; she never interfered when we had major decisions to make; she didn’t judge us harshly, (She practiced the scripture, “Judge not that ye be not judged.”)

I remember one time when mom put a giant stuffed bear in my bed and covered it up so it would look like I was asleep. I had wanted to spend the night with my girlfriend, but I was in the 4th grade and daddy worked out of town, so I couldn’t get permission first. After I practically begged mom to let me go, she conceded (I think we were supposed to go on a field trip the next day). The next day when I got home, mama told me that her heart almost stopped beating when Daddy came home late, and went in to kiss me goodnight! I was sleeping so soundly, that he didn’t even turn on the light when he went in to kiss me. Daddy never realized that he had kissed the bear.

Whew, Moms. They are such a blessing to have around and today, on Mother’s Day
we get to recognize them.

“In all things give thanks”

I thank my mother today for teaching me about Jesus and his love. I thank my mother for never giving up on me accomplishing something great—even when I often missed the mark by miles.

I thank my mother for giving me a reason to sit still and visit—even though the visits were rare occasions because often I was too busy to be still.

I thank my mother for not turning away from me when I was angry with God—her prayers brought me through a desert time in my life, and as a result, I made my peace with God and built a stronger bond with her.

I thank my mother for protecting me from all of the monsters both real and imagined in my life. When the nightmares came, it was mom who was there to take me in her arms and hold me as I explained that the skull was on my pillow so I was afraid to move. She turned on the light and showed me that the skull I saw was only the shirt that I had crumpled up at my pillow. In mama’s arms, the world was safe.

I thank my mother for finding a way to encourage me to follow what the Lord laid on my heart at a young age—writing. She didn’t laugh at me when I told her what I felt the Lord wanted me to do, just because I was only eight years old, writing seemed like such a faraway dream. Mama’s response to my plans was to buy me my first journal and ink pen. I can hear her saying “Gracie Ann, you can do anything that you set your mind to do.”

I thank my mother for finding something to love in me. We weren’t rich in material
possessions, but I was the richest girl in the entire world, because I had my mother.

Find out how He Promises to Protect and Guide Us by clicking on the link to this week’s Lattereign.