Happy Mother's Day -- Reflections on a Good Mother

I became a grandma for Mother's day! That is my Granddog in the picture above. It is the new puppy of my daughter and her new husband.

All the wretchedness of cancer recedes in the promise and joy of new life, even new puppy life. My daughter is a good doggy-mom. She has already signed her puppy up for training classes, and was very dutiful in watching him to be sure he didn't use my house as a bathroom.

My old dog Lucky liked the new little guy, and I can see dog-sitting days in my future.

Mother's Day is a special day. I was blessed with a wonderful mother. I sent her a gift a couple of weeks ago because I didn't want my cancer surgery to interfere with honoring her. She is that special.

The picture above is of a baby of another special mom. About a year ago, I met a weeping abortion-minded mama on the sidewalks of the local abortion center. She went in the clinic, but emerged, and decided to come to me, and hear what I had to say on behalf of keeping her baby. We shared the gospel, showed her her baby's heartbeat, showered her with love, support, and gifts. In the end, she chose life, despite terrible obstacles. I have remained her friend, and Cities4Life has showered her with resources, baby supplies and clothes, and ongoing assistance when she has a need we are able to meet. Now, she is on her own, in her own home, with a good job, and raising her three children. This is what she posted yesterday:

I've carried a baby in my body. I've slept with a baby on my chest. I've kissed boo boos, mended broken hearts, been puked on, peed on, pooped on; spent sleepless nights in a rocking chair. I wouldn't change a thing. My body isn't magazine perfect, but when I look into the mirror I see a mom, and there is no greater honor or blessing!I love my babies!

This is my mom and me. (As my brother said when he saw this photo, "Give her a hand!") Mom is sweet, gentle, kind, quiet, thoughtful, intelligent, long-suffering, patient, and a great listener. She also ran a marathon at age fifty. I ran it with her but almost died. I sat down and told her go on without me with only three miles to go. I would not have finished, except Mom insisted she would not finish it either unless I picked my sorry butt up and ran those last three miles. Despite our little detour into near-death, she finished as the winner of her age group, and since the race was a nationally sanctioned race, the national champion.
Mom is my hero. I love my mom.

See, we all need people who will see the promise in us, and not let us remain short of victory. We need people to push us to a greater holiness, righteousness, and to encourage us to endure even when it seems impossible. It is popular nowadays to let kids choose whatever they want, no matter what, even if it is selfish, stupid, or morally questionable. I don't fall in that camp.

I think a mother's job is to train a child in the Lord, so when they are old they will not depart from it. I think a mother should metaphorically do what my mom did in the marathon. When her progeny (me!) had given up, was not going to finish the race, my mom stayed with me. She refused to move a step at great personal sacrifice, until I was back up and running in the right direction. That is what a mom should be.

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Proverbs 31: 24-31
She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.