“Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.”
Proverbs 31:25

Today is my mother’s 81st birthday! I have been very fortunate to have worked with her these last ten years or so until her retirement in March. Her plan WAS to move to Virginia to be with my sisters, but the corona virus changed all that. I have had the pleasure of having her with me since! Someday soon, she will leave and make her new home on the east coast. Until then, I get to enjoy her here!

What a treat this has turned out to be! It’s been a long time since we lived together. She’s made some of the meals she made when I was a kid, and I’ve heard her tell some stories of her life I haven’t heard before. Honestly, this has been a huge blessing for me!

Let me tell you a little about my mother. She was born fourth of six children to Polish dairy farmers. They were Catholic and followed that denomination faithfully. She married an Irish/Swede construction worker and had four children. I am the oldest, the only boy. My father was an alcoholic, so that marriage ended in the late 70s.

It was at the end of this tumultuous relationship that God touched her, and she was born again. It was one of those lightning bolt moments that sometimes happens. As it turns out, God’s timing was perfect because he gave her everything she would need for the times to come.

You see, it wasn’t easy back then for a single mother. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t today, either; but back then child support wasn’t enforced like it is now. If the father didn’t pay, there was no help. Suffice it to say, my mother lived very meagerly. I was already gone when all this happened. Somehow, she managed. The interesting thing is my sisters today say that they never felt poor.

All that was by the hand of God. She had great faith in him, and he always came through. In fact, she tithed – much to my disapproval back in the day. I couldn’t understand why someone would squander what little they had like that. Actually, she was the wise one, and I was the fool. I would one day come to realize this.

Now that I live with her, I get to see just how strong her faith really is. She’s praising her God all day long! She’s speaking of Jesus and offering up spontaneous prayer whenever she wants. She is a woman who is truly aware of and thankful for all the blessings God has bestowed upon her. Excitement overcomes her when she thinks about how God has taken care of her! It truly is a pleasure to see her in action!

She’s not worried about tomorrow, nor is she worried about today. She’s content in the arms of her Lord.

What a role model!

Father, I thank you for my mother, for all that she has been through, and for the praises she gives you! I thank you for this special time you are giving me with her. Amen.

Copyright © 2020 Scott Powers