A Gift Called Mom

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17)

In our walk in Christ, it is the work of God to send those people into our lives that we are in need of. We must be open to receive these gifts to benefit from them. Jesus was asked at one point in the Gospel of John about the work of God:

Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. (John 6:28-29)

Are we to limit that to mean that we are to believe in Jesus the God-man that walked on the earth and died on the cross, or do we also recognize that Jesus is come in a people and ministering to us through his people that He has sent? The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 13:5 “…that Jesus Christ is in you …”

I say this to tell you to seek the gift of God in the people He has placed in your life. In my life, my momma, Sara is her name, has been an inspiration to me. By receiving the gift that Jesus gave me through her, my life has been truly blessed. Let me share a few of the many reasons why this is so.

When I was a child, my mom instilled in me a desire to learn and try new things and to find the answers to life’s riddles. Mom did not always give me the answers—she often pointed me in the right direction to find the answers for myself. Much of the knowledge I have this day came about in the days of my childhood as I scoured just about every book in our bookshelf. As I got to the age where I could read, a common refrain from both Mom and Dad when I would constantly ask them questions about the things of this world was “Go look it up.” Our 1960 edition of the World Book Encyclopedia was a constant source. I thank my mom and my dad for showing me that I could find the truth of things if I diligently pursued it.

As a child, and now, I always wanted to know how things work. Mom showed great patience and trust in me as I would constantly take things apart to see how they worked. There was not an electronic or mechanical toy that I did not take apart. If something around the house was not working, I’d take it apart and try to make it work. I got the desire to tinker from Dad, but Mom had to have a high degree of trust in me to tackle some of the things I did. I can remember fixing Mom’s sewing machine on at least one occasion. In all of this, I am sure Mom knew that it was all part of the process of learning. It was no surprise to her when I was a teenager and decided to go into engineering school.

Mom always encouraged me and allowed me to try new things. As a kid, when there was some kind of food that I liked, I wanted to learn how to make it. Mom gave me the liberty to try. Through her example and teaching I learned to follow recipes and learn to make things that I never knew I could make. To this day, if a certain food comes to mind for me to prepare, I study out recipes and attempt to make it. It may take me a few times to get it perfected, but I have no fear of trying. This applies to all aspects of life, and I thank my mom for giving me that will to try. Mom suffered through some messy cooking episodes, but I thank her for her patience and willingness to turn her kitchen over to a child novice.

As I learned to cook under Mom’s tutelage, I also came to learn gardening at an early age. My brother and sisters and I would help in the garden. As I developed and interest in it, Mom and Dad taught me the ways of gardening, and from there I started experimenting on my own. My specialties became tomatoes, squash, pumpkin, peppers, sunflowers, and okra. There were many life lessons learned in that garden of ours—it takes much work and love to tend to a garden, but when you do, so you reap much fruit.

The greatest thing that Mom instilled in me as a child was the infallible truth of God. It was only at the age of 35 that I actually walked with God, but I never questioned the correctness of God’s word. In my years of living a life of sin, I did not question the truth of God’s word. There were many things of the world that I never took part in because of the things of God that Mom and Dad insisted were right. I thank God for keeping me through those years, and I recognize that certain principles were instilled in me through my parents and served as a preserver of my soul.

On this day I am grateful that I received the gift called Mom. Oh sure, there were many times that I strayed and closed my ears to her, but, in general, I heeded the words of my mother. Every life story is different. Not all of us have parents as I have. Whatever path we find ourselves, however, we must accept the gifts of God that he puts in our life. Our Heavenly Father knows what we are in need of. When God places someone in your life that is giving you Godly counsel, hold onto that gift and do not despise instruction.

So on this Mothers Day, I want to say thank you to Jesus first, for he fills our need. In my life, he gave me a mother that always inspired me to do my best. Thank you, Mom, for always being there for me, always believing I can do great things, and most importantly, always there to love me whether I am at my best or at my worst. 

I love you, Mom!