Even though there are no special holidays in honor of my mother right now, and really no upcoming ones, I have been pondering my appreciation for her much in recent days. I have also been pondering how little I express that appreciation to her. Saying thanks every time she does something for me is not nearly worthy of the true measure of my gratitude for her. I must note furthermore, that it is not so much the little things she does for me, as it is the overall life-encompassing example that she is for me in my own pursuit of biblical womanhood. I am not even a fraction as patient, gracious, kind, thoughtful and generous as my mother is in her service toward others. What gets me even more when I observe and consider her selfless ways, is that her motives are never, ever to draw attention to herself or to any merits within her. What she does, she does for the glory of God and the welfare of others! When someone asks my mother if she can help them with something, she would never have them know at all how many other things she has to do that day. They would never have any idea that she has already volunteered to assist in two or three other areas of ministry/service that day and that she might be making a meal for someone that day as well. No matter how much she has on her plate, she will always make room for more. Her bookshelves might be a little dusty that week or the dishes might sit in the sink for a day or two, but she has touched many lives that were in need. That’s because she has truly learned the hidden art of placing others before herself…always! She is the most unselfish person I know. If she has any small amount of extra money, she looks for ways to bless her children and grandchildren, or to provide for others. If she has leftovers, she shares them with neighbors and friends. If she has a free day, she fills it up with meals and cleaning for those who are either sick or just in need of an extra hand. If someone is in a bind and needs her to care for their children, she jumps at the opportunity to lovingly do so. If she has a couple hours at home, she asks me what she can do to help me so that I can do homework or go to a meeting. When I go out of town, I come home to a freshly detailed car that smells fantastic or to having all my laundry put away neatly. Her service is rarely visible to others, and she will probably be embarrassed that I am publicizing it here. She never harbors bitterness or resentment for all the ways in which she is often looked over or forgotten. She expects nothing from people in return for her kindness. She never gets frustrated or impatient that no one is serving her or meeting her needs. She doesn’t read to gain merely theological depth, but simply to love Christ more and more. Oh, how I long to be like her! If I grow to be an old woman who has little money, no fancily decorated home and not many interesting stories to tell about all the places I have been or things I have done, I will be satisfied just to see Christ mold me into even a small measure of her likeness. So today, just because it’s a day when I saw her commit to several acts of service this afternoon and tonight, making this Lord’s Day far from a day of rest for her, I was especially considering how thankful I am for her example of womanhood. She serves because she is so blessed by the service Christ has done for her. She loves because Christ loved her first. She meets needs because He met her greatest need. She prefers others because Christ preferred her. Mom, I love you and honor you today!
“Her children rise up and call her blessed…Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all…let her works praise her in the gates.” Proverbs 31
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