Yesterday we all celebrated the mothers in our lives. Whether biological, adopted, no longer with us, new mothers or someone who has taken the initiative to treat you like their own child regardless of DNA, we can all agree our Moms deserve a trophy.
Something I admire about my own mom is how in every part of her life, whether she intends to or not, you can see Jesus.
You can see Jesus in how she works for others, never wanting anything in return. You can see Jesus in the mercy she bestows upon those who by the world’s standards should receive harsh judgment. You see Jesus through the way she intentionally spends time and listens to the people by whom she is surrounded. The list goes on.
There are other women in my life who I am thankful for the role of mother that they played in the lives of those I love.
My mother-in-law Kimberley raised a caring and compassionate man who works hard and respects those around him. She also taught Casey to do his own laundry (score!). I am eternally grateful for her and blessed to call her Silas’ Memaw.
My Grams, who raised my mom, is a fierce soldier for Christ. I have always said she has a direct line to Jesus, because when she prays, there is no mountain that can’t be moved. She is strong, and she has gone through two husbands dying, yet her faith stands firm. She is unshakable and I hope to be just like her.
My sisters and sisters-in-law that raise my nieces and nephews are some of the strongest and most intelligent women I know. It takes grit and determination to raise children, and I see proof of that every day through the lives of my sisters/sisters-in-law.
But what I have learned since becoming a mother, which I couldn’t fully grasp before embarking on this journey 10 months ago, is about God’s unconditional love and the sacrifice he made for us when He sent His Son to Calvary’s hill.
My favorite things about myself are that I am a child of God, Casey’s wife and especially that I am Silas’ mama. I never knew how my heart would grow once I became a mom. My heart swells with pride and joy as I spend time with Silas and experience him growing and learning new things.
Nothing that Silas could do would make me not love him. In these first 10 months of his life there have been hard times, starting with bringing him into this world, to utterly exhausting times, when I never thought I would sleep through the night again. Even still, I love him so powerfully I feel Iike I could burst at times.
This is only a fraction of how God loves us, and that is how my relationship with the Lord changed — once I began to understand how a parent loves their children. His only Son, Jesus, was offered as a living sacrifice to make up for the sins and faults of the rest of his children, all of mankind.
I wouldn’t trade Silas for the world, but that’s exactly what God did. He traded His only Son for the world…so that we could have freedom from our sins and join Them in heaven one day. The thought of that kind of sacrifice astounds me, and makes me shutter in reverence for the God who calls me his daughter.
What an incredible gift and the ultimate meaning of love:
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16