A Mother's Journey

{EAV:176d33a4c513f99d} Years ago, when my mother passed away, someone sent me this beautiful tribute to moms.  I don't know who wrote it so I can't give proper credit.  But it is a truly beautiful piece and I hope it touches your heart.   Read it at a slow pace...leisurely, digesting every word.  For those lucky enough to still be blessed with your mom, this is beautiful.  For those of us who aren't, this is even more beautiful.  For those who are moms, you'll love this.

Mother

My mom and dad

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked. And the guide said, "Yes, and the way is hard.  And you will be old before you reach the end of it.  But the end will be better than the beginning."

But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years.  So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."

My husband and his mom

Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come."
                    
And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary.  But at all times she said to the children," A little patience and we are there."  So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you."

My dad's mom

My mom and her mom

And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I've given them strength."

And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said, "Look up. Lift your eyes to the light.  "And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory, and it guided them beyond the darkness.  And that night the Mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."

And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she was little and bent.  But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage.  And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could  see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.  And mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them."

And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates."  And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her.  And they said: "We cannot see her but she is with us still.  A Mother like ours is more than a memory.  She is a living essence."

Your Mother is always with you... She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street; she's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks; she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not well. Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop.  She's the place you came from, your first home; and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you.
Not time, not space... not even death!

Home is where your story begins.


Today I am linking up with Joan at Reflections of Grace.  I would love for you to visit there and see what others are saying about the Grace of God!

From His lap,

And the Walls Came Crumbling Down

Have you ever read the book of Nehemiah?  It is the story of how Jerusalem lay in ruins and it's gates had been burned.  Nehemiah wanted to rebuild the wall around the city so that the citizens would once again be safe.  He was ridiculed and chastised for trying to rally people into helping build the wall.  But he was steadfast, as he knew attacks would come again and again and the people would never be safe in their homes, without
                                                                            that hedge of protection around them.

If you read the whole story, you will see that people were stationed around the city, family by family, each responsible for building their part of the wall.  As they were rebuilding they were under constant threat of attack from their enemies.  So while they worked on their portion of the wall, they actually had to hold weapons with one hand in order to protect themselves.  They worked side by side, each one having their role in building the wall and protecting the family.

Think about this, each family was busy building and protecting itself.  As a result, a strong wall was built around and protected an entire city.  I think about families today, so scattered, so distracted, so preoccupied with the things of this world.  Who is protecting your family?  Are you working shoulder to shoulder to build up it's strength, all the while, being vigilant to outside danger?  If you take the time to see what is going on with each member of the family and make sure that you are all puting forth the effort to spend time together, praying, laughing, taking walks, whatever it is that your family enjoys doing, you are shoring up the protection that families so desparately need today.

It's not always easy to monitor what our children are watching on tv, doing on the computer, playing on their game system, or doing with their friends.  But, this is how enemy is slipping into families and bringing destruction.  I have witnessed families where the children barely come up for air from their video games.  Their little minds are being filled with God knows what, hour after hour after hour.  Boundaries are almost undetectable in society so we must set boundaries in our homes.  I don't mean we shouldn't ever allow our kids to have fun or that we shouldn't trust them.  We are to build them up, while watching out for them at the same time.  Just like the people did while they were rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem.

It's not just our children who need protection, but marriages, as well.  As life moves on and stress builds, we can either turn to each other, as a couple, for strength and safety, or we can turn outside our marriages.  We make little choices every day that will either weaken or strengthen that bond.

There are some families who have taken a lot of care to build strong walls of protection.  There are others who have cracks in their walls with signs of crumbling on the way, and still others, who's walls have completely come down, their family in shambles!  What if each family did their part to protect each other from the outside forces that are so harmful to them.  It would seem to be the natural progression that with healthy strong families, would come healthy strong neighborhoods which would lead to healthy strong cities and who knows how far this concept could reach.

What steps have you taken to build a strong safe family?  Share some of your ideas with us on how to make a strong society by starting with strong families!

From His lap,

They Come From Love

Yesterday, I did a writing exercise based on my childhood and upbringing.  It was fun to go back to my heritage and reminisce on my earliest memories.  It got me thinking about my kids and what they would write when they are a little older.  I'm so proud of them and want so much for them.  As I write my weekly post on thankfulness, I'm spending some time to be grateful for the things in my children that are the handiwork of God!

God has already written on their hearts and I'm so thankful for:

76.  Our 15 year old's dedication and commitment to being at swim practice at 6 am every morning and after school every day.  I can tell that he already has a good work ethic.
76.  His tenderheartedness with young children and animals.  He has the heart of God.
77.  His love for nature and the outdoors.  He will go to the mountains and stay in a tent for as long as you would let him stay.  He appreciates God's creation.

78.  Our 20 year old daughter's adventuresome spirit.  She can just pick up and go without being bogged down with the cares of this world.  She does not need "worldly things" to make her happy.
79. Her voice of an angel.  Well maybe not an angel cause she really belts it out there.  But she sings it out all bluesy and folksy and it's wonderful.  Her voice is as funkalicious as her wardrobe!
80.  Her desire to be the peacemaker; her attempts for everyone to get along and not have fight or argue.   

81.  Our 22 year old daughter's commitment to being a wife and mom.  She keeps a spotless home and spends countless hours with her daughters, taking care of their every need.  We never worry that our grandchildren are getting enough love!
82.  Her fiercely independent spirit.  She's not afraid of anybody and she can do anything she sets her mind to do.  Don't dare threaten someone she loves cause she will take you down!
83.  Her loyalty and love.  Her heart is pulled towards family and when she loves you...you know it!

84.  Our 24 year old daughter's dedication to becoming a teacher.  She loves children and wants them to know how special they are.
85.  Her soft tender heart.  She loves all the way and is forgiving and easy going.  I love this about her!  When you are around her you just feel peaceful and calm.
86.  I'm thankful that she is a little like me in the ditzy department.  Some call it naive, some call it gullible, but she's just innocent and pure.

87.  Our 27 year old son's sensitivity.  He can sense when someone around him is hurting or in pain.  He cannot stand to keep quiet if someone is not being treated well.  He always steps up.
88.  His ability to write music, songs, scripts.  I love this about him.  It's a God given gift.  When I listen to the lyrics of his songs, I hear his heart and his passion.
89.  His desire to be a father.  He has always
                                                        longed to be a father, more than
                                                        anything else.  His first child is due in March and he
                                                        is doing everything he can to be prepared to be a
                                                        great dad!                   

90.  Our oldest son's work ethic.  He doesn't have a lazy bone in his body.  He would never sit around and refuse to work.  I am so proud of him for that.
91.  His kindness towards others.  He will do anything for someone in need and would never expect anything in return.
93.  His love of writing lyrics to songs.  He has a perception of young people's needs and hurts and knows how to speak to them and to be positive for them through his lyrics.  He never judges.

So while they all have scattered like the wind and have their own lives...I'm grateful for what God has put on the inside of them that they carry with them.  He shines through each one.  I'm thankful that they all know where home is and they can come here anytime. They will never let each other down.  They come from love.

Hop on over to Ann Voskamp's A Holy Experience to see what others are thankful for this week!



From His Lap,

Returning to Their Land

Being a mom is hard.  There, I said it.  I'm raising number 6 and I've earned the right to say it.  Don't get me wrong, being a mom is rewarding, fulfilling, and brings great joy...but it's hard.  As mothers, we pour our hearts and souls into each little vessel, giving of everything we know of, to give.  Sometimes we don't know what to give so we rely on prayer, guidance from the Lord, our own mothers, friends and even still...we're at a loss...so we just love.

The hardest part for me is pouring out my very life, giving my all and then watching grown children make choices that I would never have dreamed they would make.  Then, you just step back, pray, observe and have faith that what you did put in them is enough.  Enough to get them through wrong choices, through situations they shouldn't even be in.  Is that what we do to our Heavenly Father?  He pours Himself into us and whoops, there we go, walking down a path of destruction or calamity.

What does He do when His children take that path.  Remember the prodigal son.  The father didn't drag him back kicking and screaming.  He waited for him to get to his lowest point and when that son came home for the love he knew was there, his father ran to him, celebrated him and brought him back into the fold.  He had faith that his son would remember the blessings and the love he had poured into him and that he would return.

Scripture tells us a story of a mother weeping for her children.  Jeremiah 31:15-17 (NIV) says, A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more (rebelling).  "Refrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears," declares the Lord.  "They will return from the land of their enemy.  So there is hope for your future," declares the Lord.  "Your children will return to their own land."  What a promise!  What a hope!


Dear Ones, if you have grown children who look like they've left behind, all that you've poured into them.  If they seem to be looking for a life that can only lead to destruction, have hope in the mercy and grace of your Heavenly Father.  He will leave the 99 sheep to go look for the 1 who is missing.  He will use dire circumstances to remind them where they came from and the love they had there!

Yes, as a mom, sometimes it's hard, but we find our peace and strength in the joy of the Lord.  And we can rest, knowing that He cares for our children even more than we do.  I thank God that He watches over all my children and gives me the peace to wait for them when I need it!

From His Lap,