The Love Of My Mother

As I consider what “words of wisdom and inspiration” I want to share in this article, I realize that May is Mother’s Day month.

And I reflect once again on the life, the witness, the example of my mother in my life. I always try and reflect on what mother has meant to me through the years each Mother’s Day. It’s not the only time, but it is a regular time.

Mother had always “been there.” That is a statement of fact. If she was not physically present, her words, values, and expectations of me are tangibly present always. I have never had to wonder what she has expected of me. I have been told that I have unreasonably high expectations of my self and others. I guess this is where that comes from.

Mother expected me to be the child of God I was created to be. That means I will treat others properly, I will be honest, courteous, kind, loving, faithful, giving—a good husband, father, son, brother…. These are not negotiable. They are expected.

When life beats me down, mother would not pet me and say everything will be alright. She helped me understand that life can often be hard, unfair, and unjust. But she also would remind me that God is in control and will work His will in the end. If I will be faithful, it will work out.

She listened when we talked. She didn’t just hear my words, she listened to what I said. She let me say what I felt – then loved me anyway.

For many of us, our mother’s voice was the first voice to communicate with us, to soothe us, to rebuke us, to call us by name. That voice shaped our identity, our values, our view of the world. No wonder we carry that voice with us wherever we go. No matter how far we may stray from our mother’s home or our mother’s teachings, we still hear her voice imprinted on our minds.

My mother worked hard all of her life. Her family, like most, did not have much in the way of material possessions. But they were rich in life. She could make the most delicious meal from nothing—mostly vegetables that I am not fond of—and turn an everyday occurrence into an event. We had cookies for every holiday growing up— Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, Valentines, Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc. – you name the holiday, we had a cookie! And the whole house got decorated.

I reflect and remember so much about how she gave of herself to the family. Even while ill as her life came to an end, she was more concerned about what would happen with Dad and us boys (and our families) than her own future.

Mom never “preached” but she has certainly shared the love of God with those in her life. She lived a life that “becomes the Gospel.” She had achieved that which most of us strive for but never seem to reach. Her very life demonstrated just how much God loves us, cares for us, forgives us, and offers us.

I pray that as I grow in Christ, I will one day achieve this completeness – this wholeness – that she obtained.

Most of us reach an age in life when we want to give back to our mothers all the blessings they gave to us. We want to honor them with love, with care, with gratitude, with gifts. That’s part of the significance of Mother’s Day.

A mother’s love and care shape our identity as healthy human beings. I wish that everyone knew that kind of love from their mother (as I have), but this is an imperfect world, and not every mother is equipped to give healthy love to her children. If this is your story, I hope you realize that it had nothing to do with you. You are incredibly precious and worthy of unconditional love.

We were created with a deep need for grace – that unconditional love that accepts us with joy in spite of our flaws. Grace is healing. Grace is freeing. For many of us, our first taste of grace came through our mother’s love for us. But we will never know grace in its fullest form until we accept it from a loving, holy God who bought us with a very great price, the price of his own blood.

Jesus’ life was surely shaped by his mother’s love. And after his death, he was able to give back to her in abundance the love that she had given him. The wonderful thing is, we all have access to the awesome love that Jesus offers. It is guaranteed to all believers who pray for and receive the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5: 5 reads, “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” This Mother’s Day, may we find ways to give back the love we have received to others.

Thanks for everything mom! I love you!