Today is a day that I went to pick up the phone to call Mom to tell her about the cool, fall day in Michigan that called for coffee and a chat with her...but she will not answer her phone...so I scrolled through pictures.
When I have been faced with a question about “What should I do in this situation? Or “What is appropriate to do?” My husband, Ted, has often asked me the question, “What would your Mother do?’ I would then stop and quickly scroll through the memories of all the years watching my Mother help my Father, give unselfishly to friends and loved ones, and serve in various ministries. In quiet confidence, I would then decide how to handle myself in various circumstances.
Mom spent time daily with her Heavenly Father and she followed His ways as He faithfully showed her truth. She often shared with me what she had learned and struggled through herself. Mom demonstrated that consistency throughout my 54 almost 55 years with her. I am so thankful for those times of counsel. During a particularly hard time in my life as a young wife and new mother, Mom told me “Your greatest ministry right now is your husband and children.” She spoke truth that brought peace to my heart and pointed to contentment found in God’s plan. Mom knew life was hard and messy! Mom knew loss. She knew pain. She knew fear. She knew grief. She knew joy. Mothers know…best…because they have experienced so many things in life. I valued her words knowing they were humbly offered. We were blessed with a mother who had accepted the Lord as her Savior and was blessed with wisdom and love from God. I learned that Mothers who spend time daily with their Lord and Master are given discretion to minister to their families in unique ways.
As I had the honor and privilege to keep the night watch when I arrived in Florida on June 22, I spent each night remembering the countless hours and ways she invested in caring for and ministering to others alongside Dad faithfully…she showed me how to be the help-meet God has called me to be. She demonstrated great patience and care as she taught her three children ALL the needful things for ALL of life. A feat I learned to appreciate as I muddled and Mom often laughed through the hard toddler days. Mom shared Jesus with us in so many different ways. It was at her knee that I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. My eternal destiny is settled and I know I will see her someday in Heaven. She prayed for each one of us…her children, her sons and daughter-in-loves, her grandchildren…and their future spouses and children. Her love for her grand-children bubbled out whenever she had the opportunity to be with them, talk with them, and hear life updates. Her love for her family and friends has touched so many across the years…and today.
My life has been blessed by our Mother who gave of herself to the very end. The conversations I had with her…not knowing they were to be the last ones here on earth were full of concern for how our children were doing, Dad’s strength in ministry, heartache for friends going through hard times physically, thankfulness for God’s care, and trying to rise above how much her hands hurt that prevented her from doing all the things she loved doing. “But I can pray!” God orchestrated events in our life…long before Mom’s cancer diagnosis to give me an opportunity to be with Mom and Dad at the right times.
A year ago, I was here at MV visiting and heard my Dad in chapel share several thoughts from Psalms that led to “All is well. All will be well. All must be well…because God is in control! He is always with us!” I thought God was using those words to encourage other decisions. Little did I know, that those were the words that would bring the greatest comfort to my heart on August 4, 2023, again on June 17, 2024, and finally on June 27, 2024. Our dear Mother taught me to trust God’s will and way as I watched her live each day…and as I watched her take her last breath on earth.
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