Monday, May 06, 2013

Why? Because She Loved Me!

This coming Sunday is Mothers Day.  My mother passed from this life on August 30, 1996, but Mother's day will still be filled with thoughts of my mother and the impact she had upon my life.  I keep a copy of her obituary in my Bible marking Lamentations 3:22 — that great passage about God's great love and faithfulness.  Like our Heavenly Father, my mother's love and faithfulness was unfailing.  She reared her three children faithful to the teachings of God's Word and with a heart filled with love and compassion.

There are things that I see around our house each day that bring back childhood memories of my mother and her parenting techniques.  Perhaps they will bring back memories of your own mother.

Oatmeal! My mother always insisted that I eat a well-rounded breakfast. Now, my idea of a well-rounded breakfast was a chocolate covered doughnut, but my mother did not agree! I always had to eat something like oatmeal, toast, and orange juice.  Why?  Because my mother loved me and wanted me to grow up to be strong and healthy.

Books! Some of my friends went home after school and watched cartoons on TV, but not me! My mom always insisted that I do my homework before I watched any TV. Why ? Because my mother loved me and she knew that a good education was one of the best things she could give me.

Clocks! I am reminded of my mother by a clock because she always insisted on knowing where I was every minute of the day. If I wanted to go to a friend's house after school, I always had to call my mom and ask for her permission and tell her where I was going to be and what I was going to be doing. Why? Because she loved me and wanted me to be safe.

Dish washing detergent! I guess my mom never heard about child labor laws. She had this idea that every member of the family should chip in and help with the chores around the house. I had special jobs to do and I was expected to do them without being told. Why? Because my mother loved me and wanted me to learn that a happy family is one where everyone works together.

As previously mentioned, mother isn't here anymore. She's in heaven and I imagine that she probably has the angels dusting the pearly gates and sweeping the golden streets! My mother was like that! Sometimes I thought I was being mistreated, but I wasn't. Why did my mother do all these things? Everything she did was done because she loved me and wanted what was best for me.