"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.
Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
"There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but YOU surpass them all!"
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise."
~Proverbs 31: 25-31
Mothers Day. What a ridiculous day. I mean honestly... Lets think about it. Here is a woman who carried you in her Body for NINE months, went through hours of intense/painful labor so you could be introduced to the world, and has taken care of you every day sense. She has taught you had to walk and talk. She has provided pretty much Every meal for you from age 0-18. She has decided the best school for you, the best church for you, the best environment for you to grow up in. In fact, almost Every decision your mother has made since the day she found out she was pregnant has in some way been with You in mind!! She has prayed from you more. Loved you better. Believed in you when no one else did. Championed you into every ridiculous dream you had. Listened when no one else would. She has cried more, laughed more, and loved more when it has come to you then we will ever know. I say all this to support my first statement: Mothers Day is ridiculous. We give the woman who has made our very existence possible ONE DAY! ONE. ONE. ONE!!!! We have decided that for ONE day a year we will send her flowers, ask her where She wants to eat, and tell her we really appreciate her. And then on May 14th... It all goes back to normal. We get back to our complaining and unthankfulness. Wishing that our mom would just leave us alone. We wish that she would just Understand us. We wish that she would stop asking us where we are when we haven't talked in 5 days! We think about how great it will be when we finally get to move out and her terrible rules are suffocating us anymore. We wonder.... what would life be without my mother. The very woman that carried us in her body and molded her entire life around us is no longer honored and appreciate the way she should be... It is time that we recognize the GIFT we have in our mother! It is a gift straight from the Father!
I woke up this morning and remembered it was Mothers Day. I contemplated writing my mom a nice text or posting a nice facebook status, both of which I will probably do. I thought about goggling a sweet mothers day quote. I even typed in the word "mother" in my iphone Bible to see what verses came up. I was searching for something meaningful. Something that would say everything in my heart. Something that would bring a tear to my mom's eye and would maybe even convey for just a moment the love I have for her in my heart. It was after looking through several verses that lacked any sort of inspirational text, that I decided to read through Proverbs 31. I've always been told this is the kind of woman I should shoot to be. A Proverbs 31 woman is the ultimate goal when it comes to a wife and a mother. As I read through it, especially 25-31, I realized something... I have that type of woman in my life already! I have been in the presence of a Proverbs 31 woman for the past 20 years! My mother is truly clothed with strength and dignity. She has carried our family through thick and thin, while beautifully supporting my father in every dream and calling on his life. And when she laughs, it comes from a place of pure joy. There is no fear left in my mother. When I am worried about the future and trying to figure it all out, she is the one always pointing me back to Jesus and teaching me what a life fully dependent on Him really looks like. The wisdom that my mother carries is unparalleled and it is in the moments of her correction that her kindness is most evident. Within our home, she is constantly on the move, serving us and providing a wonderful home to live in. Day in and day out my mother goes above and beyond to be the best mother she can be and it is time for me as her daughter to stand up and bless her! So here I am.... doing my best to let her and the rest of the world know just how amazing of a mother I have. No woman can compare. No love can match her love for me and the love in my heart I have for her will never be shaken. I will honestly spend the rest of my life trying to convey just how grateful I truly am for the mother God gave to me. I know everyone says this, but it is especially true for me: I would NOT be where I am today had it not been for my mom. I would not be walking out the crazy dreams on my heart, had it not been for a mother who did it first. I would not have the unshakable faith I have today, had it not been for my mother who walks in absolutely ridiculous faith! I would not be able to love the people around me, had it not been for a mother who has loved thousands around the world. I would not have my love for the nations, had it not been for a mother who took me to the nations With her and showed me how to love the hardest and darkest! Most of all, I would not know Jesus, let alone Love Him, had it not been for a mother who had laid her very life down at His feet and loved Him more beautifully than anyone I have ever seen. One day is not enough to express just how much my mother means to me and just how important she is to me! This woman is priceless and worthy of hearing just how amazing she is every day for the rest of her life!
So today I honor you, Janet Baxter. I say I would not be the person I am today had it not been for you. I say I love you. My love for you grows every day. I say I am sorry for every disappointment I have brought you. I say I am sorry for not appreciating you the way I should. Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for always praying for me. Thank you for loving me the way you do. Thank you for taking me into the Nations for the past 20 years. Thank you for introducing me to the Lover of my Soul. Thank you for being my amazing, world-changing, Jesus loving, mother!
Today, I bless you. Today, I honor you.
I love you.
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