Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day.

I wanted to tell you the story of a pretty great mother.

Kathy was in a strange new city, and a big university and knew only the 4 family members that she lived with. After a couple of months she was set up on a blind date with a man who had just served a tour of duty in Vietnam as a Green Beret.

They went to a college football game on their first date. And she fell in love with him.

And he with her.

They dated. She met his family and was immediately accepted as a family member. They took her in and loved on her while her own parents were so many miles away.

Eventually he proposed and they married. It was a beautiful ceremony filled with love and emotion.

He decided to go back to Vietnam and do a second tour of duty as a Green Beret. As he was going back, she was pregnant.

She moved home to be with her parents to await the delivery of their child, while missing him terribly.

She went into labor on her due date. It was the hottest day ever-108 degrees-and the ac didn't work in her hospital room. Luckily she had connections and it got fixed before the day ended!

She gave birth to a little girl. Not beautiful at first but she finally grew into those eyebrows (thank heavens for waxing!!). She loved that little girl as did the rest of the family.

Soon Kathy's husband returned from the war. They once again set up house in a home far away from her family. He had returned not the same as he had left. Physically intact, but he had seen things and experienced things that would leave him emotionally scared for life.

He did love his little girl though. Loved her fiercely.

As time went on, Kathy saw that this was not going to be a home that she could raise her daughter in. She knew the importance of being raised in a God-fearing, church going home. And she knew that is what her daughter deserved.

So, she made the toughest decision of her life.

And she left.

She went home to raise her daughter in a home where God would be praised, taught, worshipped, and spoken about. She went back home to her family. To safety, and security. Things that weren't always present before.

Kathy then became reacquainted with a man she had known before she left for college. After dating for a while, they married. He the son of a preacher, she the daughter of a deacon and the organist.

He loved her daughter and wanted to call her his own. So her adopted her, gave her his name and loved her with a love that couldn't be matched. She called him, and only him, Daddy.

Kathy loved and supported her daughter through many arguments between friends. Through many fights with boyfriends, through love and disappoinment. She was always there for her daughter. To dry her eyes, or cheer her on in her successes. She could always be counted on for being wherever her daughter needed her to be. She gave up much of her own desires to be the mother of her daughter. She loved her.

She showed her how to be a mother.

And now her daughter is a mother. A mother of four children. She is still called on often, when the daughter is overwhelmed with motherhood. She offers advice and encouragment.

She became a mother 38 years ago.

And is still as active in her daughters life now as she was then.

Thanks, mom for being a shining example of what a mother should be.

Proverbs 31:28 Her children rise up and call her blessed.