Lessons I Learned from Mom

If you're afraid of something, go to it. 

When I was young, if the house made a strange noise that bothered me, she would teach me this.  Then she'd go with me to the sound, and we'd find out it was just part of the house making noise.  She helped me learn that most fear is just in our heads and doesn't have to overtake us, which applies to so many things in life.

If you're feeling down, go help someone else.

She passed this one down from her own mom.  If the nasty little self-pity monster ever tried to get us down, she taught us this.  If you're helping someone else, it makes you feel better for the sheer sake of being helpful.  It also might give you some handy perspective about your own challenges.

You can be a lady and still kick some serious boo-tay.

My mom is hands-down the most lady-like person I know.  She is all delicate femininity, kindness, beauty, and manners.  But I've seen her lift a garden hoe over her head and bring it down repeatedly to hack to death a giant, 4-foot snake that tried to nap in our garden when I was eight.  She can slop pigs and lay sod with the best of them, and it's one of my favorite things about her.  Those images have had a major impact on me throughout my life.

You can choose to be happy.

During a couple of my college years, I faced some major personal challenges, and Mom sent me a book called Happiness Is a Choice.  It was so annoying to me at the time, because I was like, "If it were that easy, then why am I not happy?"  But actually, I ended up working through all of it and learning this very lesson, because I did, in fact, choose decisions that lead me out of those circumstances.  Now, understanding that we can decide how we'll feel, and that we don't have to be ruled by our emotions, has become a cornerstone of wisdom for me.  Mom was right all along.

Watch your mouth; there's a power to our words that, whether we understand or not, we ought to respect.

Anytime we'd say something like, "It was so funny, I almost had a heart attack!" or "I was scared to death," Mom would say, "Hmmmm...you shouldn't say that.  Your tongue and your words matter."  Something in me knew she was right.  It was my spirit.  Now I understand way more about the power of our words, and that when we speak, we create, just as God does, in whose image we were created.  Weird, but true, and again, Mom was right all along.

Pray without ceasing, cast your cares on Yahweh, and have faith.

The single most prominent characteristic I equate with my Mom is prayer.  I'm not talking about one who sat down with us and prayed over things often, which she did.   I'm talking about consistently, vigilantly, passionately setting aside time to go to a quiet, hidden place to pray to the Father.  She understood the power there, and she put it into practice, and He honored her prayers in her life and the lives of her children.  Especially back in those tough, college years I mentioned, I cannot explain it other than to say that there were times that I knew she was praying for me and that, were it not for her faithful prayers, some things would absolutely have turned out differently.  I cannot say how much it has impacted me.

So, here's to my mom, so full of love, grace, patience, and wisdom.  Not just in theory, but in practice.  This list, full of depth and insight, is only just the short list that most readily comes to mind.  She has been a constant teacher, and seen from my perspective as a grown-up, I marvel at the blessed life I've had to be entrusted to her care.

Love you, Mom!  Happy Mother's Day today and every day!