My mom grew up during the dust bowl in the early 1900’s.  She lived on a farm in rural Nebraska and had a very, very hard life.  Her father died when she was young, so her mother and three children had to work hard in the fields.  Often, all she had was lard and bread to eat.

Despite my mother’s hardships when she was young, she grew up loving the Lord.  She put herself through college and rose out of her desperately poor situation, also helping her mother and siblings as well.   Even with that, life continued to be hard.  She married my father who was sent to the front lines in WWII.  He suffered some severe injuries and came home struggling with alcoholism to cope with the horror he suffered.  Still she had faith.

One thing she always promised us children, is that we would always have food on the table.  She knew hunger as a child and swore that we would never experience the same.  Till she went home to be with the Lord, she would always offer us something to eat when we would come over to visit.

When us kids were going through our difficult teen years of the 1970’s, a culture filled with drugs, promiscuity, and unbridled liberalism, she would pray daily for our protection and safe keeping.  I believe if it weren’t for her being a diligent prayer warrior, our outcome would have been much worse as looking back I can see the hand of God’s protection.  I like think that God honored her faithfulness.

My mother was a great mom.  She always reflected the radiance of the Lord despite her situation.  Three things come to mind when remembering my mother; Joy, patience, and love.  All attributes of the influence of Jesus Christ in her life.  She knew how to ask the Lord to direct her heart into the love of God, the patience of Jesus, and the joy of her salvation. 

Today, let us remember our mothers and honor the legacy of those Godly women that the Lord has put in our lives.  Let us understand that these great motherly attributes are only possible through the work of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of His Holy Spirit. 

“Dear Lord, we ask that you bless all the mothers today and we thank you for those Godly mothers who have yielded to the presence of the Holy Spirit.  We know that Godly mothers are a gift from you and let us to our best to learn from and live up to the wonderful examples that they have set forth, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Amen”

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” Luke 1:46-47