A Mother's Heart

This is a busy time of year for us, with end-of-the-school-year events for both grandchildren and church ministries, Mother's Day, graduations, and birthdays happening in quick succession. As a mom whose children are grown and married and living in other parts of the country, I confess that Mother's Day is now a little bittersweet for me since I rarely get to spend it with any of our children. I can't help but think of Mother's Days in the past when all my children were still at home. They used to make me breakfast in bed. We still laugh when we think of the early years when they brought me cereal - with the milk already poured on it, usually quite awhile in advance! - and burned toast! As they grew older and learned to cook, the cereal gradually gave way to things like scrambled eggs or French Toast, but those cereal Mother's Day breakfasts have a special  place in my heart! In our family we have long had a tradition where my husband and children, instead of taking me out for dinner, cooked me a special Mother's Day meal at home. I was banished to the living room, or to the yard if it was a warm day, to enjoy a glass of iced tea and to listen to all the noise, chatter, and activity in the kitchen which always made me wonder exactly what was going on in there!

My husband is actually a fantastic cook and he still keeps that tradition by cooking for me on Mother's Day, even though now he has to do it without any help. This is what he made for me this year: Grilled marinated shrimp, a baked potato, corn on the cob, and spinach and strawberry salad. It was delicious!

The transition from having children at home to having grown adult children has taken me awhile, but in the process I have learned to more deeply appreciate, nourish and cherish my relationship with my Heavenly Father. Every other relationship in our lives will eventually change. Parents grow older and die. Husbands can die or leave, children grow up and establish their own families. Friends change or move away. How sweet it is to know that our Lord never changes. At every stage of life and motherhood, He wants us to desire Him and our relationship with Him more than any other. In Luke 10:42, Jesus tells Martha that "one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." As young moms we need to keep our focus on Him and ask for His grace, strength, and wisdom in raising our children. As older moms, we need to still keep our focus on Him with a heart of gratitude while committing our now-larger families to Him. 

To me, one of the most exciting things about being mom to grown children and grandmother to our grandchildren is the privilege we have to pray for them. I do not mean just praying that God will bless and help them. I mean praying intentionally and specifically for each one. No one knows the needs, the struggles, the challenges and the tendencies of your children and grandchildren more than you do. Something that I especially love is to pray Scripture. When you are reading your Bible and come across verses that can be applied to one or more of your children or grandchildren, write them in your journal or notebook. Something I am excited about doing but have not yet had a chance to begin is to keep a page in my notebook for each child and grandchild. Then use the Scripture that you write down as a guide to pray. For example, from Proverbs 3:5-6: "Lord, help               to trust in You with all their heart and not to depend on their own knowledge or understanding, but in everything they do may            acknowledge You and let You direct their path." 

When you pray Scripture, you can always know that you are praying what is God's will. If you need more help or encouragement with this idea, a book that I have found helpful is "Praying the Scriptures for Your Children" by Jodi Berndt. I give this little hardback book as a gift at every baby shower I go to. Whatever season of mothering you are in, thank God for the privilege that He has given you to train, love, and pray for your children.

Lovingly,

Kathi