Reason #632
It has been a full weekend. We've hardly had any downtime, so I couldn't be more grateful that tomorrow is a federal holiday. Thank you, Columbus, for discovering America so I could have the day off. There's nothing better than a long weekend! Today is my mom's birthday! You all know, by now, that I love writing blogs in honor of people on their birthday, so you can bet that I am going to do that again this year.
This has been quite the year of change for my family. Just when you think you've been through pretty much everything, you find out that you haven't. And no matter how old you get, life keeps changing. In fact, I don't think there is ever a time when it stops. Tonight, my mom and I were talking and she made a comment about this time last year. Last year?! It has already been a year since then? Well, time is ticking and I'm anxious to see what God does between this birthday and the next.
Every year I am grateful for my mom. And as I grow older, my gratitude grows. Because I begin to relate to her in different ways. I can relate to her as a working woman, and I can relate to her as a wife. But no matter how old you get, you still need a mom to help you through these things. Because mom's have been there longer than we have. For the most part, they've already experienced a lot of the things we've gone through. And although my mom and I do have different experiences, I always appreciate the fact that she can offer a word of wisdom for anything.
I've talked a lot about service lately, as the Lord is really working on my heart in this area. I don't mind serving, but I find myself struggling to serve with pure motives and a glad heart. And truthfully, if we're selfishly serving, I'm not so sure that counts. And so when I think about service and what that looks like, I think about my mom. Maybe you're like me and you've taken your parents for granted. Growing up, you got used to being served. After all, the moment you entered this world, everyone catered to you. They carried you around, fed you when you were hungry, put your wants and needs above their own, and did anything they could to keep you happy. So who would want to give that up, right? But with age comes responsibility and ability. We become capable, but we'd rather someone else continue to do things for us. I definitely allowed my mom to do a lot of things for me. I figured she liked it. She was my mom, that's just what mom's did. I never really took into consideration that maybe she didn't absolutely love washing my dirty clothes. Maybe she didn't really enjoy picking up after me like I imagined. Maybe she wasn't thrilled to cook and clean up dinner for 4 every night, but she did it. She took incredible care of her family, all the while working a full time job, and she never missed a beat. My mom is a true servant, and anyone who knows her knows that's a fact.
Servants are reliable. They are selfless and genuine. They see a need and they meet it even if it means they have to sacrifice. True servants don't serve for praise and recognition. Truth be told, most of the time they don't even get a thank you. But that doesn't stop them anyway. True servants have a heart for the Lord, a heart like the Lord's, and that's why they do it.
So thank you, mom, for selflessly serving our family. And thank you for continuing to selflessly serve, too. Thank you for being reliable and trustworthy. For sacrificing your time, efforts, energy, and desires so that we could be taken care of. Your hard work may have seem unnoticed at the time, but trust me, it has been noticed. It has been noticed and appreciated more than words can say, and I wouldn't be the person I am today were it not for you. So thank you for sharing your wisdom. Thank you for being an incredible reflection of the Lord. For showing me what Godliness and beauty looks like. And thank you for always seeking the Lord so that His glory and love was and is reflected in everything you do. For being a blessing to those around you on a daily basis. You are a wonderful mother, a beautiful woman, an incredible friend, and a pure joy to be around. Happy, happy birthday to you!
#632 - For an incredible example of Godliness and true beauty.
"Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor." - 1 Peter 5:2-4
This has been quite the year of change for my family. Just when you think you've been through pretty much everything, you find out that you haven't. And no matter how old you get, life keeps changing. In fact, I don't think there is ever a time when it stops. Tonight, my mom and I were talking and she made a comment about this time last year. Last year?! It has already been a year since then? Well, time is ticking and I'm anxious to see what God does between this birthday and the next.
Every year I am grateful for my mom. And as I grow older, my gratitude grows. Because I begin to relate to her in different ways. I can relate to her as a working woman, and I can relate to her as a wife. But no matter how old you get, you still need a mom to help you through these things. Because mom's have been there longer than we have. For the most part, they've already experienced a lot of the things we've gone through. And although my mom and I do have different experiences, I always appreciate the fact that she can offer a word of wisdom for anything.
I've talked a lot about service lately, as the Lord is really working on my heart in this area. I don't mind serving, but I find myself struggling to serve with pure motives and a glad heart. And truthfully, if we're selfishly serving, I'm not so sure that counts. And so when I think about service and what that looks like, I think about my mom. Maybe you're like me and you've taken your parents for granted. Growing up, you got used to being served. After all, the moment you entered this world, everyone catered to you. They carried you around, fed you when you were hungry, put your wants and needs above their own, and did anything they could to keep you happy. So who would want to give that up, right? But with age comes responsibility and ability. We become capable, but we'd rather someone else continue to do things for us. I definitely allowed my mom to do a lot of things for me. I figured she liked it. She was my mom, that's just what mom's did. I never really took into consideration that maybe she didn't absolutely love washing my dirty clothes. Maybe she didn't really enjoy picking up after me like I imagined. Maybe she wasn't thrilled to cook and clean up dinner for 4 every night, but she did it. She took incredible care of her family, all the while working a full time job, and she never missed a beat. My mom is a true servant, and anyone who knows her knows that's a fact.
Servants are reliable. They are selfless and genuine. They see a need and they meet it even if it means they have to sacrifice. True servants don't serve for praise and recognition. Truth be told, most of the time they don't even get a thank you. But that doesn't stop them anyway. True servants have a heart for the Lord, a heart like the Lord's, and that's why they do it.
So thank you, mom, for selflessly serving our family. And thank you for continuing to selflessly serve, too. Thank you for being reliable and trustworthy. For sacrificing your time, efforts, energy, and desires so that we could be taken care of. Your hard work may have seem unnoticed at the time, but trust me, it has been noticed. It has been noticed and appreciated more than words can say, and I wouldn't be the person I am today were it not for you. So thank you for sharing your wisdom. Thank you for being an incredible reflection of the Lord. For showing me what Godliness and beauty looks like. And thank you for always seeking the Lord so that His glory and love was and is reflected in everything you do. For being a blessing to those around you on a daily basis. You are a wonderful mother, a beautiful woman, an incredible friend, and a pure joy to be around. Happy, happy birthday to you!
#632 - For an incredible example of Godliness and true beauty.
"Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor." - 1 Peter 5:2-4