Mom

Mom,
   How can I begin to thank you enough? There are no words that adequately describe your importance in my life. I know people say things like this all the time so it sounds extremely clique...but I have no idea where I would be without you. Actually, I do have an idea and it is so not pretty. There are so many things that I should thank you for but there is not enough time and not enough words to write them all...so I will just mention a few.

Thank you Mom for being the one who always welcomes me with open arms in all my mess and failure. You are the person who since I was born has been there for me day in and day out when I mess up big? You are there. When I am excited about something you are excited too (mostly haha). When something makes me sad, you sit with me and make me feel better even if you don't say any words. When I completely don't know how to do something I need to do and come to you crying like a baby, you pick me up off the floor and help me figure out how to do it. When I make a mistake and have to come tell you how stupid I am and you say "I still love you".  Mom, how do you do it? You seem to somehow make all (me, Seth, Abbey, Jess, Heath, and dad) of our lives still work and have your own too.

Thank you Mom for all the nights you spent with little to no sleep taking care of me. For the times when I was a baby and fully dependent on you to wipe my butt and give me food.  For the times when I was a bit older and could walk and talk but got sick and spent the night in and out of the bathroom or coughing so much I couldn't sleep, you were there holding back my hair or rubbing my back.  Or when I got my license and was out late with my friends and you waited up to make sure I got home safe. And those nights that I couldn't go back to sleep because I had a bad dream that felt too real. One thing remained the same...you were right beside me, with a warm rag for my forehead, with a bowl, with the nasty cough syrup, and best of all your arms that wrapped me up tight so I knew it would all be okay in the morning.



Thank you Mom for helping me know how to treat others with kindness, love, and grace. For teaching me when I was young that I should treat others with the same kindness I would want to be treated with. For showing me in many different ways how to love people who are different than us, in whatever way that might be. For being someone who asks people into your home and showing me in very practical ways what it means to have hospitality and helping others to feel comfortable in your home. For making cookies and meals for people who maybe had a surgery or is new to the neighborhood or church. Because doing that was a gift to those people, but also a gift to me by teaching me what it means to take care of those who may not be completely able to do that for themselves. And welcoming others into something that may seem unfamiliar and uncomfortable and letting them know that they are loved.

Thank you Mom for being my teacher. Whenever I think about being home schooled I remember how blessed I am to have a mom that would spend her time teaching me when she could have sent me to school somewhere else. I think about how you had five kids and somehow home schooled us all..at the same time and survived with sanity in tact...that is impressive to say the least!

Thank you Mom for never wanting us to miss out on an opportunity whatever it may be.  No matter if it it meant you bending over backwards to get us there and then having to wait around so we would have a way home. I am sure there are countless hours you spent driving us around to the different things we were doing whether it was music lessons, youth group, baseball, fundraisers, ect. And even after all that still having a home cooked meal on the table for dinner...you truly are an amazing mom and a top chef if you ask me :)


Thank you Mom for pushing me to achieve my dreams, but also speaking truth and reality into my life. For giving me balance and level headedness (apparently thats not a word but I'm sticking with it anyway). For raising me to be my own person and for allowing me to do so even when I seemed a little weird to you and the rest of the family. Hahaha!  I know there were times in which you probably would have made a different choice than I did, but you allowed me to make my own because you didn't want to control my life. And thank you for supporting me in it.
 

Lastly, and most importantly, thank you for always telling me about Jesus. Thanks to you (and Dad) I cannot remember a time in my life that I did not know who Jesus was.  It is because of you that I stand today and say that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. Without you telling me, taking me to church, showing me through your life, and praying for me I am not sure I ever would have known Christ. Thank you for raising me in a home that allowed the Holy Spirit to lead and actually following even when it meant moving away from family. And for leading me to Him when my focus was just not quite right. It is because of you, Mom, that I have the courage to do what God has called of me. I remember the day when I told you and dad that I felt called to be a missionary and I will never ever forget what you said.. "Do you think we are surprised?" because you knew even before me. You knew that because you raised me to know Christ it meant that he may someday have a call on my life that would lead me this way.  Thank you for making God greatest in your life so that I might see that and get to live by the example you placed in front of me.

Mom, you are my biggest blessing, my #1 cheerleader, my best friend, my nurse, my counselor (Lord knows I need it), my safe place, my constant, and so so many more things. You inspire me to be better each and every day. To be loved by you is more than I ever deserved. For all the times I didn't say it, THANK YOU!  For all the times I won't, THANK YOU!  Happy Mothers Day!

I love you Mom! <3