Mom

I woke this morning remembering my Mother who passed on this day three years ago.  A number of us were in the room and a few were huddled talking about scheduling when God quietly called her name and she stepped out of her very troubled house into God’s glory!

A word that hit me this morning about Mom was “embrace”.  Mom embraced so many things.

She embraced the family of her youth.  She loved her siblings deeply and their families.  Often they came up in conversations and in prayers.  She loved the three who died long before they should have.  The baby that predated her she did not know but she talked about.  Her older sister bruised her shin on a playground merry-go-round and contracted cancer that ate away her life.  She died when 17 and Mom would shed tears as she remembered the groans of pain the Lucille uttered over the closing months.  Then there was the death of her brother in the war.  She often cried over George.  She embraced her family.

Mom embraced Dad.  I love to hear Dad tell the stories of their courtship, wedding and first years of union.  I’m so glad Mom threw that paper airplane at Dad at York College!  While I know this is not true, she acted and talked as though Dad could walk on water. She embraced him and the marriage in a large way!

Mom embraced children – I was her first, then Karen, then Steve, and lastly Jane.  She embraced us everyday.  Everyday we were great – the apple of her eye.  There was not a time I remember that she didn’t express love and support (there were times that her love was tough and she sent me to Dad for even tougher love because she loved me – thanks, Mom!).

Mom embraced Jesus! When I was expected, she set into preparing to be a great Mother in part by listening to Bible teachings on the radio. One program was the broadcast of a local church’s Sunday service that became a staple in Mom’s schedule. Through that, she was introduced to Jesus and came to embrace Him.  And did she ever!  Daily there was Jesus talk and Jesus reminders – daily!  She embraced her Jesus!

Furthermore, she embraced His Word.  She consumed the Bible both in reading and in memorizing.  I think she had verses or portions of much of Scripture to memory. When we moved to Wyoming in 1981, she rode with Janet and they set into quoting Scripture.  Janet has often told me of that ride for Mom simply worked her way through the Psalms citing verses from every one.  I remember her telling of a ladies’ retreat she attended where they were going around the room talking about a current book that had grabbed their attention.  Mom apparently said she only had one book that really moved her – you know it – yes, the Bible!

Mom embraced life. Whether it was church, shopping, the neighbors, strangers (occasionally they would go to Flying J where Mom looked for a trucker to give a tract), work, traveling, parties, or whatever – she embraced it all!

Then Parkinson’s embraced her – only lightly at first but in time with more and more squeeze.  The last years and days were tough, yet she embraced them as God’s gift and her opportunity.

And then on November 2, 2015 about 11:11, she had opportunity to embrace Jesus!