Mom

Perhaps it’s a little cliche to write about mothers, since Mothers Day was just yesterday.  However, since my mother loves all of my writing, and all of my ideas, and says I am very handsome, and very smart, the idea to write about mothers must be another really clever idea of mine  :)   So here it goes...

Beyond multi-tasking, mothers really have a unique role in life.  Caring for their families in the way that they do, seems to bestow a range of skills that border “super-hero” status.  

I know of one mother raising 5 children on a minimum wage job, with an older and unreliable 2-door vehicle. Her rent is subsidized. Her life is survival. For her, simple things make a huge impact. For example, the family lost nearly all of their furniture a while back, but they had one couch stuck in the basement that could be used in their living room. All she needed to do is bring it up the stairs, over the banister, turned and moved through the first door way, through the kitchen, and then through another doorway, with a final turn into the living room. Not going to happen. However, with a little thinking and engineering from her neighbors, it did happen. This was cause for tears of joy and awe when it concluded. She call’s herself “Lucky”, but I call her “Teacher” - who reminds me what meekness looks like. I haven’t seen her around in a month...I hope she is okay.

Another mother in my world has aged far beyond her years on earth - and a little too quick.  Having a stroke a number of years back, her left side is “slow”.  Her husband isn’t regularly around, and I’ve never seen her children. But, perhaps my neighborhood is her “children”. She is busy every day and every weekend cutting the lawn of her dilapidated home, shoveling snow off porches of vacant homes, sweeping the street and curb in front of several homes, bagging leaves and then shuffling up to Glory for her groceries.  She calls herself “Blessed” - and she call me “Brother Tim”. Is there a better treasure than to be called her brother? 

There is this other woman who donates her time to clothe entire families in serious peril every month.  She single handedly renovated two entire classrooms and converted them into a full-service thrift store.  She welcomed a neighborhood child into her home, because the mother had no other options for child care (she needed to get to her job at a local retail store).  This talented woman made muffins with the young boy, gave him structure for the few hours that he was in her care, and then took him to his tutoring class. This woman’s style, grace, and talent for cooking are unprecedented. Her humility and desire to exercise her faith in all practical ways is something I learn from.  She calls herself “Nurturing” - I call her exactly right and also my beautiful wife. 

I can easily go on with all the mothers in my life: there is Alice, my own wonderful mother. Jenny, my go-get-em sister. Martha, my problem solving sister.  Trish, my mother-in-law and fighter for all things just.  There is Joni at Christ the King - and of course Linda F. How about Toni, Torri, Kandra, Junita, Maureen, and Lisa J. at their respective non-profits.  Maggie H., Anessa M. and Sister Angela who are such great coaches.  My neighbors Artina, Helena, Tanisha, Maria, Leslie, Sue, Barbara, Jamie, Danielle, Charlene (really...who could forget Charlene).  My life is filled with mothers, and to see any good in me, means to look at these  women (and so many others that are not named) and see the contributions they have each made in me. 

The final “Mother” is someone I am only recently getting to know.  To me, she is quiet, meek, and mysterious.  Sadly, she is someone I blew off for most of my entire life.  But her patience to wait for me, is unmeasurable.  Her name is Mary.

In my upbringing there wasn’t much attention given to Mary. She was invited to Christmas, but that was about it - not much study was given to her.  But as I sit, read, pray and listen, I’ve learned that there is so much more to this Mother than I realized: There is just one person who was in attendance at each of our Lord’s significant milestones: His birth announcement, His birth, His death, His resurrection and at Pentecost. Mary.  There is only one person that could have shared the stories of Gabriel’s announcement, the flight into Egypt, or the intimate caresses of her son. Mary is that person.

Her pondering is what puts me in awe of her as well.  Thinking what this Woman’s life must have been like - she was human after all - and putting real thoughts and curiosities into how she fed her son, cared for her son, watched her son perform miracles, and cried for her son as she watched Him suffer. And then see her son return from the grave.  To put it simply, she is the only one that was intimately and physically present for the entire timeline of Christ.  And, to think that this Mother was given to me by Christ himself...it’s a little intense, if I let it sink in.

Perhaps in time, this relationship will grow and I will be able feel her warm embrace, and the prayers she offers up to God on my behalf, and behalf of the whole church.  For now, and for this Mothers Day, I am so very fortunate to have some wonderful Mothers in my life. Thank you, to all of you wonderful women.