Remembering My Mother - shared by Christina Sanders
The job that never ends...
gets no pay...
often sees little recognition....
but requires around-the-clock hours. 24/7. No break. No holidays. No paid time-off.
Job description includes the most demanding physical, mental, emotional, financial, and spiritual stretching.
We wouldn't be so quick to click "Apply Now" on a job posting like this. Working 8 hours a day with two weeks paid time-off is a requirement for many of us when it comes to choosing a career.
When stepping into a mothering role - whether with your own children or as an aunt, grandmother, sister, daughter, or friend - we're signing up for this.
We're saying, "No matter the cost, I love you and I'm here for you."
What allows us to be able to do this? It's so unnatural, so selfless.
Love.
And we know we love others because God first loved us.
This love, my friends, needs to be celebrated!
In a world obsessed with serving self, motherhood consistently denies self. Day after day. Moment after moment. Spit up shirt after spit up shirt. T-ball practice after t-ball practice. Meal after meal. Hug after hug. Conversation after conversation. Encouragement after encouragement.
This Mother's Day, let's be intentional to recognize the gifts in our lives - the gifts poured out through women who have loved and supported us.
To help us remember this, I'm excited to introduce you to my friend, Christina Sanders. She lives in Oklahoma but her heart for her own mother is a beautiful reflection of the love our Father has for us. Let's be challenged and be encouraged!
Mother’s Day is known as a day set aside once a year to celebrate and honor mothers. Whether biologically, by adoption, or if a special woman stepped in to be a mother figure in your life - they should be celebrated, not just one day but every day.
“Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” - Proverbs 31:31
Celebrations are about creating and capturing memories. For this Mother’s Day, why not add a little something fun to it? Ready to take a challenge? It’s totally free, but the memories will be priceless!
I hope that this little exercise will encourage you to cherish your mother if she is still living, remember your mother if she has passed away, and to create and document your story and legacy if you are a mother or mother-to-be.
If Your Mother is Still Living: Honor
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." - Exodus 20:12
One of the best ways to honor your mother is to listen to her. To practice this, let's take some time to interview the women who have poured so much into us!
Make it fun. Listen and let her share her story. Engage.
Jot down at least 5 -10 questions you’d want to know about your mom and schedule a day to “interview her.”
Again, make it fun. Get her all dolled up and make her the “guest” interviewee of the day! After it’s all said and done, don’t forget to take her out to lunch or dinner in celebration.
Record a video and begin to interview her. Just go with the flow. Here are some questions or points for starters:
Ask her about the lessons she learned from her childhood - from her own mother and grandmother.
Ask about her thoughts and wisdom on motherhood.
What did she want to be when she grew up?
What were/are some of her favorite things?
What are some things she wants you to know and remember long after she is gone?
Save the video in multiple places: flash drives, cloud drive or email, put it on a CD and store them in a special box.
You can also take the audio version of the recording and have it transcribed, so you can have her words/memories in text format. Then, you can print it out or even create a photo book or coffee table book with her words showcased throughout the book.
Each year, you can add to it!
To Those Whose Mother has Passed Away: Cherish (The Memories)
"Good people are remembered long after they are gone.” - Proverbs 10:7 (CEV) “The memory of the just is blessed.” - Proverbs 10:7 (KJV)
It may be difficult for you as grief or a bit of sadness can kick in, and it’s totally understandable.
A few years ago, my mother passed away and I remember praying to God to not allow me to grieve because I would often see how some others would grieve and it was just overwhelming.
It was already enough for me to try to figure out how I would navigate through life without my best friend and greatest supporter. I began to put my time and energy into being “busy” so that I didn’t have to think about the loss.
However, as I began to think things over, I was able to recognize God’s grace in her transition and in my life.
God’s grace is what gave me the strength to get through it all. Just being able to remember the good things and see His goodness throughout my life’s journey was what I had and have to hold on to.
“And he said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.'” - 2 Corinthians 12:9
I once heard someone give a different perspective on grief that was life changing to me. They said that grief is an expression of love, and to add to that...
Love
Never
Fails.
It’s the love that you had for your mother and the love that she had for you that remains.
It’s the grace of God that will help you to continue to live each day. Grief is natural but let God’s grace be your strength.
A mother’s love never dies...every word of encouragement spoken in your life, every measure of support, every lesson taught is something you carry with you not only to remember but to also pass on and be an encouragement to someone else.
Grief is hard, but it's so much harder to go through it alone. I want to share what I've learned through this grieving process to help you.
As we take on this Remembering My Mother challenge, I encourage you to purchase this beautiful journal. It will help walk you through this exercise.
Set aside a time to journal and jot things that come to your mind about your mother and what you are grateful for. Here are a few starter prompts:
Honor Your Mother: If you were to accept an award or give a speech on your mother’s behalf, what would you want others to know about her?
Just the Two of Us: What were some of your favorite past times that you and your mom would share?
Sense of Humor: Describe your mom’s sense of humor. Can you recall a time that she said or did something that made you laugh until you cried?
Favorite Dish, Meal, or Celebration: What was your mom’s favorite meal or dish to make? Was it a recipe that she had that you loved? Write the ingredients and directions down, schedule a day and cook that favorite meal.
Promise Keepers: What’s the one goal that you promised your mom you would do? Was it going back to school or finishing up a degree? Was it to live out a dream? What’s stopping you now from seeing the goal through to the finish? Set a date and go for it!
These are only a few starters, but take your time with this exercise. Ask God to bring back to your remembrance the things you have forgotten that are significant. After a while, you will have documented her life and story - written and told in your own words.
To the Mothers and Mothers-to-Be: Blessing
Are you a mother or mother-to be? Children are as much a gift to you as you are to them.
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” - Psalm 127:3
Why not try the Share Your Story challenge? It’s a way to document your life journey for your children.
Write a letter, record videos, or even begin to journal your story to give to your children to carry on your legacy to generations after you have passed away.
Share the things you want them to know about you. What are some lessons you learned growing up, as an adult, and about life in general?
What do you want them to remember about you? How do you want them to remember you?
What are a few things that you are grateful for your children? What about them inspires you?
What are your fondest memories about them?
What is your prayer for them or blessing that you would speak over them?
Wrap it up and give it to them to open at a special time.
Remember, you are writing your story. We all have one and it's most relevant and encouraging to your family...your legacy.
Finally, in all things remember that whatever season you are in, there are two things that are certain we can all share - good memories and gratitude.
Good Memories
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." - Philippians 4:8
Gratitude
"Every good and perfect gift comes from above." - James 1:17
"In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:8
When we remember the gift of our loved ones, especially our mothers, these memories will help to continue to shape our lives.
Let's find strength from above in the long days of nurturing and caring for others. Let's find joy in gratitude, knowing every good and perfect gift comes from His hand. Let's find peace when we grieve loss knowing He is our comforter. Let's find rest as we celebrate the love the mother-figures in our lives have shown us and recognize this as a small glimpse of the love God has for us.
Nurture and care is an outpouring of love from the heart of God. We get to share this with others - whether our own children or those around us. Let's be open to the people He places in our lives today and the days ahead who need a tender touch of love and care.
The good life, well it starts with a good day. Then another. Then another. Let's choose to live #TheGoodDay one day at a time.
I love hearing from you, so go ahead. Leave a comment. Be brave. Maybe your comment will speak life into someone else!
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