To My Mom, Because of You

To my mom, on this Mother’s Day,

Thank you.  Thank you for bringing me into this world.  Thank you for the countless baths you had to give me, sometimes even multiple per day. Thank you for teaching me to brush my teeth, eat my veggies and respect my elders.  Thank you for giving up so much to raise me.  You could have been a renown physical therapist, or a coveted CPA, but instead, you wiped my nose, and my derriere.  Instead, you washed crayon off the walls, applesauce off the floors and spaghetti off the table.  Instead, you took backtalk from me that no client or patient would have ever dreamed to give you.  You corrected me and loved me anyways.  Thank you.

But even more than all these things, I want to thank you for making a way for Jesus in my life. I know we didn’t read the Bible, or go to church when I was young.  I know you think that God has captured my heart despite the lack of outright devotion paid to Him in our childhood.  But you are wrong.  You made a way, so that in the right time, when God revealed himself to me as a God who loves me in spite of my faults, I recognized that.  I knew it could be true.  Because of you.  When God offers to hold me through the pains of life, I know to trust Him.  Because of you.  When God does not remove all obstacles from my way, but rather teaches me through them, I recognize the love in that.  Because of you.  When I am angry and raging against God and all that I think is unfair, and He is still there, stroking my hair, I recognize His faithfulness.  Because of you.

Thank you for not making my life so easy I wouldn’t be prepared for this world.  Thank you for loving me even through the times I was raging at you.  Thank you for patiently correcting me.  Thank you for loving me, unconditionally.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.