Life with Mom

 Mothers. Where would we be without them?

As babies, we kept them awake all night and all day with our endless cycle of tears, feedings, and diaper changes. Then we smiled, and all was miraculously forgiven.

As toddlers, we found our boundaries and pushed. Hard. Usually in the middle of the grocery store or some other embarrassingly public place. Or we proudly displayed our newfound language ability, innocently asking the leather-clad, potbellied biker if he was pregnant...

As children, we stepped over those boundaries and hoped to get away with it. But noooo, my mom knew when I lied about brushing my teeth before school. She knew everything—and came prepared, wooden spoon in hand (while the method of discipline may have changed with the times, the moms who see all and know all have not).

By the time we were teenagers, the tables had turned. We figured we knew everything better than our moms. We were so eager to cut those apron strings and gain some independence. A few life lessons later, we begged for Mom’s advice again.

Then came college. As soon as Mom drove away from campus, we instantly regretted our teenage rebellion for independence. Why didn’t we make more of the time we had together? All we wanted were her arms around us, reassuring us that we could hack it. And we could, no matter how many sweaters we shrunk in the laundry or how many all-nighters we had to pull.

When we started our first jobs in the “real world,” who was the first person we wanted to call? And when we got engaged? Who helped us get ready on our wedding day? Who was there in the delivery room for the birth of our children? Who has been there for us through thick and thin, selflessly investing their time and energy so we turn out to be God-fearing, decent human beings?

Our mothers. We really put them through the wringer over the years, yet they continuously pour God's unconditional love on us. They were and remain our biggest cheerleaders.

Around this time each year, young children excitedly present handcrafted treasures to their moms, who ask carefully-worded questions in an attempt to decipher exactly what the gift in front of them is. “How creative! So many colors! So much glitter! Tell me about it...” Restaurants and churches alike see exponentially higher numbers of patrons and attendees, all seeking to bless their mothers. 

Why? BECAUSE MOTHERS ARE WONDERFUL! And even more wonderful when they serve God and teach us to do likewise. The moms in our lives deserve for us to try any and every way to show them how much they mean to us, not just on Mother’s Day, but the year round. [tweet_box “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all." Proverbs 31:28-29

Jessie Chamberlain
Family Radio Staff