Ever since you came into our lives I haven’t been able to go one day with out thinking about you.  You created our daughter and I see you in her everyday.  Her sweetness, her beautiful skin, and her small frame is from you.  You went through the nausea, the heart burn, the food cravings, food aversions & the labor, for her.  You could have chosen the easy way out, but you didn’t.  You chose to give that sweet baby girl life and gave our family a powerful love.  Our daughter is here because of you.

As mother’s day approaches  I can’t help but think about how it is a difficult holiday for some, including me and most likely you as well.  This special day doesn’t pass by with out many people thinking about the mom they lost too soon, the baby that never made it into this world, the young child that went heaven too early, the arms that always seem empty or the baby that grew in their belly, but not their arms.  It can be a really hard day and I want to acknowledge that and you.  I want you to know that I see you and I love you.

But for me, this day is also for rejoicing and loving on the women God has placed in my life.  For each woman has taught me how to be a better mom and woman.  My two grandma’s taught me the importance of living each day to the fullest, because life is short and can be really hard at times.  When those times come, you must clench your hands around God’s truths and never let go.  It is in those truths where you will be set free.  They have also taught me how to love my family.  Throughout their lives, love has poured out generously into the lives of their own children and the gushing effect has left an imprint for generations to come.

This day is also when I celebrate my own mother.  She gave me one of the greatest gifts of all, she opened my eyes and heart to the love of God and importance of faith.  She brought me to church when I was young and encouraged me to walk up the middle aisle when I felt God saying “Go!”  She taught me about a wonderful mother that gave birth to a son, in Bethlehem, and that boy later died on the cross for my sins, everyone’s sin.  I was saved that day, in a little white baptist church in Louisiana, with the help of my mother and the Holy Spirit.

Mother’s day is now a day where I celebrate you!  I celebrate your bravery and your love for our daughter.  You have taught me a deep deep love that I never knew existed.  It is the kind of love that wrecks your life and brings you out on the brighter side.  The kind of love where fear sets in, but love overcomes!  This abundance of love has taught me more about our Fathers love for us than I had ever experienced before.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.  In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Eph 1:3-6)

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so taht we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

I never fully understood the impact of these two verses until you came into my life.  For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I thank you for your bravery, your strength, your love, your sweetness, your tenderness, your faith, your smile…  I love you.

Happy Mother’s Day.