A Portrait of a Mother
One of my fondest memories, as a mother, was when our daughter Constance came bursting into the house filled with excitement and joy. I was in the kitchen preparing dinner when I heard the sound of little feet running into the house. I knew it was my darling little Connie, as we call her, as she came running up to me, tapping me on my arm, anxiously saying “Mom, mom, mom!” And there she was, eyes like doves, wide-open and filled with glee. And there she presented me with a yellow buttercup flower that she plucked from the wildflowers just before the mowing of the lawn. It wasn’t roses or tulips, just a wildflower: a simple yellow buttercup. She stretched forth her little arm with one little buttercup saying “Here mom, this is for you!” She was altogether 8 years old and I remember as if it were yesterday. As I looked down at her tiny little frame I marveled at how excited she was to give me this little beautiful flower. It’s always the small things that make the heart skip a beat.
As a mother, I chose to cherish that moment until I meet my Lord and Savior. It was truly an heirloom to me. Connie wasn’t celebrating Mother’s Day, but she was celebrating her mother. I didn’t do anything spectacular that day, but somehow as she was playing, I crossed her mind in her little heart. How marvelous this is. This reminds me of my mother, all the times I think about the most endearing moments. They were never anything special occasion or large. It was always the smaller things that she did that makes her so special to me.
I remember I had a stomach virus. I was in my adolescence and I stayed home from school. I was very sick and I had nausea and a fever. I was in my own bed and my mother came to my room and said, “Helen, come to our room and rest in our bed.” And so I did. I thought I was in heaven. To be in my parent’s room lying in their bed was a small token of her deep love she had for me, to nurse me in her own bed. She could have nursed me in my room but she bought me to her own room which was very dear and she proceeded to prepare me a delicious meal. I was unable to eat it, but that also was a special time for me. I will always remember that.
I often saw the little things my mother did for my siblings and I. How she would purchase clothing for my sister and I and they matched identically. Although my sister and I are not twins, often times our outfits reflected that we were inseparable. That’s how close she saw my sister and I. It’s the small things that she did that make her so special and how she would wash and braid my brothers’ hair so the next day they would have a outstanding, spectacular afro for the first day of school from summer break. Growing up in elementary school was always exciting but frightening at the same time. My mother would prep us all night with our new outfits laid out and she would stuff our new backpacks with notebook paper, pencils, and all of the school supplies that we needed, which made it even more special.
Every day we would come home from school around 3:30 pm and dinner was always at 4:00 pm on the dot. We thought it was very early for dinner but we were always eager to sit down to have dinner with the family. So many times, as we were walking into the front door, we would smell freshly baked rice pudding or bread pudding. Oh, how marvelous that was! The aroma would sweep the whole house. We could hardly wait for dessert, and to this day our mother still prepares the most delicious bread pudding and rice pudding. Oftentimes she’ll mention that she’s making her classic dessert dishes and I will always remember, as we walk through the front door, that sweet aroma of the most wonderful, famous bread pudding in the world. This is a small thing, nothing grandiose.
We mothers are not perfect. There are no perfect mothers in the world. Being a mother should be the most honorable and respectful position that a women possess. Most mothers have made mistakes and we are so blessed to take those mistakes and learn from them to the perfection of motherhood. As a mother myself, when our children are adults, we are still watching and praying and beholding all of their endeavors, ups and downs, only to remind us that the station of a mother is forever. Therefore, never begrudge your mother when you believe she failed at the course of your child rearing, but always take a moment to celebrate and love her for today. Mother’s grow with their children and learn and mature with their children also.
Constance gives me roses and lilies these days. Every once in a while I will see a little yellow buttercup and my heart flutters over and over with that beautiful moment back in time. I honestly didn’t do anything special that day, all I did was to love her and be there for her as a mother. The most wonderful way to honor our mothers this Mother’s Day is to honor her for just being in our lives. Mother’s don't declare to be perfect but they are still our mothers. Some of us can truly say, “My mother is the greatest and most beautiful person in the world” and others can say, “My memories aren’t so good of my mother.”
Our heavenly Father God in heaven knows about everything. Jesus said that he is the alpha and omega of our lives, which means that He was there at the beginning and at the end. He has seen it all. God in heaven knows about everything. It is not who mother’s were, it is who we have become. Because of mother’s we live and have our lives to this very day. It is a marvelous thing to give birth to a child and we all are recipients of that. Mother’s are extraordinary beings. Our heavenly Father God in heaven says in his word if we honor our mothers He will give us a long life and things will go well for us. He promised it. This is how important mothers are to God.
Before Jesus Christ died on the cross one of the last words that He said to his disciple John was, take care of my mother. Jesus was on the cross dying for our sins and He made mention of his mother, Mary. This is how important mother’s are to God. The word came to pass immediately after those words of Jesus. Everything went very well for Jesus after that. They thought they killed him, but three days later He rose from the dead and He has more than a long life, He has everlasting life. God raised him on the third day and Jesus ascended into heaven to live forever and ever. And just as Jesus ascended to heaven, to sit on the right-hand side of God the Father, He will descend one day to return for his church so we can live a long life and live forever with Jesus and God the Father in heaven. I will say things went very well for Him. This is the power of God’s word. Although it was preordained that God would raise his Son Jesus from the dead, nevertheless the word did come to pass.
Some of you say, “I don’t know my mother, I was adopted.” Whoever adopted you is your mother, honor her! Some of you say, “My mother has passed away.” Then honor her memory. Let us all honor all of our mothers this Mother’s Day in remembrance of all of the small and beautiful things, and along with the great things, they have done for us along our way.
And our blessed Father God in heaven will bless you with a long life and things will go well for you, as He promised. This is a portrait of a mother. Happy Mother’s Day! Amen.
“Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (DEUTERONOMY 5:16)
“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home” (JOHN 19:26-27).
Forever in His Peace,
Rev. Helen Trower
