My Life Changer - Graduation Edition

“There will always be a reason why you meet people. Either you need them to change your life or you’re the one that will change theirs.”  My friend sent me this quote one day.  My response was, “or maybe both.”  I have been blessed with so many amazing life-changers along the way, but one of the most important is my daughter, Maddie.   

 

From the moment she was born, she was so attached to me.  When she became a toddler, she was my shadow.  Everywhere I went, she went.  Everything I did, she did.  Everything I said, she said.  If I turned around too fast I would step on her.  I learned very quickly that I had better be a good example because there was this little person mimicking everything that I did.

 When she was about four, I remember her begging to come into my room while I was studying for a bible class that I was teaching at the time.  I would always tell her, “Go play, Mommy needs to study!”  She would cry and say, “I will be real quiet.  I want to study, too.”  So I would let her in and she would have her little bible and notebook and watch me read and study, then she would pretend to read and study.  What a sobering moment.  I held all the power in my hands to mold her into a strong woman of God by modeling for her what that was. 

 

When Maddie started school, she was introduced to bullies.  Of course as a parent, your first response is retaliation.  When your baby comes home crying day after day, you want them to defend themselves.  One day in anger I said, “If she hits you again, you better hit her back!”   Do you know what her response was?   “Mama, I can’t do that.  That is not right.”  Another sobering moment.  (Sometimes we hate when our kids speak our words back to us!!  )  But she was correct.  Retaliation is never the answer.  God is over the revenge department, not us.  "Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord." Romans 12:19 NIV

  

 

 

Now my little shadow has grown into an independent, strong, mature young woman. In just a few days she will be graduating from High School and then going away to college in the fall. This time in our lives is so bittersweet. It is sad because I will miss my baby, but it is also so exciting to see what God has planned for her future.  Having her for a daughter has definitely changed my life.  Knowing that she would pattern her life after mine has caused me to be a better Christian, a better mother, a better friend and a better wife.

 

 

 

 

Today, I want to encourage every parent that is reading this to remember that the eyes of your children are always watching you and learning from everything that you do.   If you want to have God-fearing, loving, obedient and respectful children you must be God-fearing, loving, obedient and respectful.  Children will not become who you TELL them to be, they will become who you SHOW them to be. 

 

 “Train up a child in the way he should go;

even when he is old he will not depart from it.” 

 Proverbs 22:6 ESV

A Mother’s Day Letter to All of My Children

I have the most amazing children:  Two that I gave birth to and one that became our daughter through marriage.  Words cannot begin to describe my love for them.  They are all different and they all contribute wonderful things to my life. 

To Cody, my precious son…I always tell people that you were our “guinea pig” child.  We had absolutely no idea what we were doing when you came along, but by the grace of God you turned out more amazing than I could have ever dreamed of.  I am so proud of the young man that you have grown up to be.   You are a wonderful husband, a great friend, a Godly example, a hard worker and provider and the best son in the world!  I know that you would do anything for us and that makes me feel so loved and cherished. And THANK YOU for marrying Rebekah.  She is the perfect woman for you…God definitely had His hand in that!   

To Maddie, my beautiful daughter…I know that all of your life you have felt that we were so much harder on you than we were on Cody, but we learned from the mistakes we made parenting him so we were much better at it when you came along!  I cannot tell you how proud I am of you.  You have come such a looooong way from that little girl who couldn’t let me out of her sight.  I looked back in one of my prayer journals the other day and it was filled with prayer requests for you.  God answered those prayers and gave me the desires of my heart…a strong, beautiful, independent and Godly young woman.   I admire the way that you stick to your standards that you have set for yourself and do not let anyone sway you.  Thank you for your obedience and the respect that you give to us.  You have always been someone that I look up to…even though I am the mom.  I am so excited to see what your future holds!! 

To Rebekah, my treasured daughter-in-love…from the moment Cody met you, he knew that you were the one for him.  I couldn’t have designed a better wife for my son.  You compliment him so wonderfully.  I love you just as much as if you were carried in my womb.  You are so loving and kind to us and I adore the way that you love my son.  Thank you for accepting us as your parents and being such a great daughter to us.   You are a Godly young woman and that means the more to me than anything. Our future grandchildren will be so blessed to have you as a mother!!  (And I know that the car accident that you both suffered through was terrible, but the good that came of it was the bond that was formed between your family and ours. We love them all so much.)  I am so proud to tell people what an amazing wife my son has! 

And to all of the children that we have had the privilege of being a part of your lives…our nieces and nephews, Chris’ baseball boys, friends of our children, and all of the teenagers that we have ministered to over the years…I love each and every one of you so very much.  I thank God that he allowed me to share in your lives.   I am honored that some of you still call me “Mom” (or Mommy) when you see me or talk to me.  I hope that you all know how much you mean to Chris and I and that we will always be here for you!

 

 

Thank you all for making me the richest mother on earth.  My heart overflows with love for you all!  I will have a Happy Mother’s Day because God has blessed me beyond measure.