2012-12-24 19.35.42As Mother’s Day is just around the corner, I want to dedicate this post to my 97-year-old mom.

Being a mother is not easy. There are times when moms have to do difficult things for the good of their children, just like God does with us.

 

When I was a young girl, one day I went to the variety store in my home town (population 1000). As I walked through the store, I saw a toy that I wanted. I could have asked mom and dad for the money, but instead, my thought process went something like this: “Why don’t you pick up the toy (it was small) and stick it in your sweatshirt pocket and see if you can get away with it?” Wow, that sounded thrilling and adventuresome. So, I did it and was successful.

I decided not to tell my parents because I wasn’t sure how they would respond. Later, I did tell mom. She was definitely not happy, but she decided to just scold me with the words, “Don’t you ever do that again.” Since it had been awhile, she didn’t make me take the toy back.

A few months later, I went to the variety store again by myself. I wanted to buy a coloring book and colors but didn’t have the money for both. “Aha! I’ll just buy the coloring book, and then come back in the store and put the colors in the bag. It was so easy the first time I’ll just do it again.”

I bought the coloring book, walked back into the store, looked around to make sure no one was looking, and quickly grabbed the colors and dropped them into the sack. I was chuckling all the way home, thinking, “This was so much fun and way too easy.”

This time I made the mistake of proudly telling mom what I had done when I got home. She did not respond in the way I had expected. Instead of just scolding me, she put me in the car, drove me to the store, walked me up to the lady at the register (who was a good friend of mom’s from church), and MADE me confess and apologize to Mrs. Johnson, and give the colors back. Oh, it was the most humiliating thing I had ever had to do in my short life.

I sat in the back seat crying all the way home, telling mom what a mean mom she was. I remember her saying, “This hurt me much worse than it did you.” I didn’t understand at the time, but I do now. If mom had not done the right thing with me, I don’t know where I’d be today or what I’d be doing. But she loved me enough to stop me from going down a wrong path, even though it embarrassed her and me. (I have to admit, every time I go home to my church in Plain Dealing and see Mrs. Johnson, I always wonder if she remembers that incident.)

Mom, thank you for loving me enough to discipline me for my good. I am who I am today because of you. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!

I’d love to hear from you. What is one of the many things your mom did that made a difference in your life? Maybe you didn’t appreciate it at the time, but now you see the value in it.

To all you moms out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

 

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