As a young boy there are a few things that I really loved. I loved ice cream and potato chips. I still love those things. I loved to play football and I loved to help others. But most of all I loved my mom.
My mother was my hero. She was a kind, loving women. She loved to talk about the things of God. She loved to sing about Jesus and she loved me. I wanted to be with her all the time, and she always seemed to make time and space for me no matter what. Now let me tell you, I was an active child. As I look back, I realized that I had to be a handful for my mom. But she never complained.
She was the best example of Jesus Christ I have ever had. She lived her life to show others Jesus. What I have come to understand now is why she did what she did. Why she lived for Christ no matter what was going on, how bad her husband treated her, how others talked about her, or how poorly her 11 children behaved. She lived not out of her circumstances, but out of her identity.
You see, my mother knew who she was in Jesus Christ. She understood that if we are to follow Christ, we would have to face many of the things he faced. She understood that we would have to suffer and life would not be easy. But she KNEW that Jesus was worth it . It is not as if she was better than anyone else, she just lived what she knew to be true.
She lived her faith, she prayed often, she forgave much, as she knew she was forgiven of much. She believed that a follower of Jesus Christ should live like Jesus as to the best of their ability. She did not make excuses, she made choices. Choices to follow Jesus.
She made a choice to show us Jesus no matter the cost. I am thankful God lead her to do so. At times, I have not done the best job of looking like Jesus. I’m thankful that my mother even taught me about that. When my mom made a mistake, when she sinned, she would get on her knees and plea for forgiveness. I have had to do that more times than I care to admit. But every time God has been faithful to forgive.
So I thank God for my mom. But even more, I thank God for Jesus, the one my mom lived her life to please.
