A Mother’s Love

Mother’s Day is such an appropriate time to talk about a mother’s love. I will be taking excerpts from the book, “Tea Time With God” that recounts my mother’s love as she was fighting her second battle with cancer.  To obtain your copy, just click on the link provided.

THE LAST THANKSGIVING

     Mom’s favorite holiday was Thanksgiving. This story is to show you how brave and courageous my Mother really was. She was told in October that she had bone cancer, along with previously diagnosed conditions. But, in November she insisted on preparing the holiday meal for our family. That year was different with everyone feeling so apprehensive of the future. As Mom began praying the blessing over the meal, it prompted our hearts to become full of an intense love for her as we listened to her eloquent prayer. We could literally feel her heart of love for us all! There were usually a few tears shed during the Blessing at every special occasion the family got together, but they were always tears of joy and thankfulness. The blessing said over the food always included thankfulness for each member at the table. But, that year, it was like Mom was letting us know she realized it would be her last Thanksgiving with her beloved family. Her words of endearment penetrated our hearts and prompted the presence of the Lord in such a precious form that there were no dry eyes at that table.

Today, with sadness, I must say it was the last Thanksgiving we shared with our sweet Mother. But, the faith my Mother instilled in me and showed me with her life, arrests my soul with anticipation for The Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9), where I will sit again with my own dear Mother! You see, my extra blessing is knowing that Mom is just not in my past, but in my future too!

HEEDING THE VOICE OF GOD

    My Mother sensed when she was passing on to Heaven, so she heeded the voice of God by preparing both funerals, for her and Dad. Let me share with you about that day. Mom called me at home and said she had cancelled Hospice and she wanted me to come to their home and bring my computer. That was all that she requested, so I hung up the phone, gathered my laptop and went to their home. When I arrived, she told Dad and I both that we were going to complete Pre-Need Funeral Arrangements for them both. Dad was against doing any of this and Mom responded with such tenderness that he sat down beside of us and helped with the arrangements.

I guess by this time I had become numb to my own feelings, knowing that there were things that had to be said and done, and just doing them. For it wasn’t until I left their home, driving the short distance down the road, that the tears began to flow endlessly that day. I desired within me if Mom can be that strong, then so can I. Her strength empowered me to move forward every day. I could see God in her every moment of her fight, His strength became her strength. His strength became my strength, and so on throughout our family.

The next day she went into a coma for the first time. Dad called me and told me that he could not get Mom awake. I hung up the phone and called Hospice, then made my way to Dad’s house. I found Mom slumped on the couch, unable to move. She was still that way when Hospice came in the door. After checking her vitals, they moved Dad and I to another room, explaining this was the way it was going to be from now on until she was sleeping more than she was awake. I began telling the nurse why Mom had cancelled with them the day before, wanting to plan the funerals. The nurse’s mouth dropped open and said, “She (my Mother) knew.” Again, it was confirmed that Mom knew her time was short. Yet, her only thoughts were towards her family and making things easier for all of us. What love! A love that comes straight from God’s heart!

My mother allowed God’s love to shine through her as He gave her strength to endure and fight various battles. Her extraordinary love for us poured out as she put all of us before herself in many ways, and orchestrated plans in making our lives easier. Therefore, this loving tribute was read at her funeral:

Dear Mom,

When we think of you and your life, we can only hope to be half the person that you were! All our life, you were there for us, the one we turned to in our times of need! You never turned us away and always took the time to give us a listening ear, shared a smile, a hug, gave the look of kindness that healed a broken heart, and provided wisdom that we could trust (whether it was hard to hear or confirmed in our hearts).

We have beautiful memories, but the lasting friendship that we shared is a treasure that not only comes from God, but YOU! We thank you for the example you were to us! We realize that we are who we are because of your prayers that have covered us all the days of our life!

We honor you for being The Best Mother we could have ever had! We thank you for showing family and friends what it means to be a Godly Woman! And we look forward to seeing you again and never having to say good-bye!

With ALL our love Mom, We Love You More!

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If you are blessed to have your mother living, then honor her on this very special day that has been set aside just for her!  Do not take for granted that you will have her with you on the next Mother’s Day, or even tomorrow.  Bless her this day, for who she is and who she has been to you.  Exodus 20:12 says, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”  Live each day as if it is your last, and with no regrets!

And if you have been blessed to be a mother yourself:

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!