Mom

 

8 years. Can’t believe that it’s been this long since my Mom has passed away. Her time on earth was all too short but her impact on my life remains unmatched. I often wonder to myself if she could look at my life, what would she tell me? Would she be proud of the woman I’ve become?  Would she recognize the path I’ve traveled and the vision I have to be the same path and vision I had when she was here with me? Would she see the fruit of the investment she willingly and lovingly made in my life?  Would she see the result of the teaching, training, love, and prayer she made on my behalf?  What would she notice about the woman I’ve become?  

My mother was an extremely passionate person. She taught me to be passionate about God, family, and passionate about using what God gave us in the form of talent and ability to make a difference in the lives of others for the sake of the kingdom. I learned so much from her about passion! Passion is what fueled her vision. She was passionate about things that fit her vision and what she was called to do with her life. My Mom was passionate about things that would make a difference in the lives of others and not just things that produced pleasure with no eternal significance.  She taught me that I must have Godly passion in my life and find a way to continue to ignite that passion to fuel my vision!  I still think about this all the time.

My mother was a selfless leader. My Mom gave up a career to be a stay at home Mom and wife. My Mom could be found cheering on the sidelines at many soccer games, cross country and track meets; she taught vacation Bible school at church; volunteered as PTA Mom and served on many different committees; volunteered as a youth leader for junior and senior high students, hosted high school Bible studies, women’s small groups and home groups at our house; she volunteered at our youth swim team as a timer; she taught MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), spoke in dozens of high schools on abstinence, sex and dating; she volunteered at the Wexford Crisis Pregnancy Center; she worked two part time jobs! My Mom was ALWAYS present, in my life, and working in the lives of and for so many others. She truly made impacting the lives of others a full time job.  My Mom didn’t have any extraordinary talents; she was a woman of great passion, vision and a willingness to let God use her in everyday life!

My Mom taught me so much about sacrifice as well. She was by no means flashy or showy. My Mom was a jeans, sweatshirt and t-shirt kind of Mom! I love this story that my dad always shares with me, my brother and sister: “Her first job after college was at the Rankin Christian Center in Rankin/Braddock where she drove a huge bomber of a car - a tan 1968 Chevy Impala that was stolen twice!  Her office was a closet with no windows in a rundown building that had been a church at one time.  Her job was to create after school tutoring and child care programs for street gang kids where the word ‘home’ didn’t mean much.  I remember the first time I went with her to deliver turkeys and canned goods to the families who were in desperate need in Rankin at Thanksgiving.  While I was pretty nervous to be in such gang infested neighborhoods, Mom cheerfully and fearlessly walked right into some of the most run down houses I’ve ever been in and with that huge smile, delivered turkeys and canned goods and hugs.  Oh, how the families cried when they saw us coming into their houses with the food.  The kids loved her as they grabbed her and squeezed her so hard out of sheer gut wrenching gratitude and embarrassment for the desperate conditions they were living in. She gave them hope and helped them believe that with God’s help, better times were just around the bend.” Sacrificing herself and serving others was Mom at her best.

My Mom led a life of unwavering faith and courage.  I watched first hand at what it was to walk thru the most difficult situation: cancer. She NEVER worried, fell apart, nor was she ever angry at God. In fact, she journaled everyday about the healing power of God at work in her body. She sang praises in the midst of the most life threatening disease, never once wavering, standing on God’s promises.  She kept her faith in God and stood her ground unafraid. That takes HUGE courage! That is real faith.

Now my Mom is rejoicing with the Lord in Heaven, that is a huge reward! I cannot wait to see her again. I miss her more than words than describe. There are days when all I want to do is hug her, talk to her, spend wee hours of the night hanging out watching movies and eating junk food! I miss our runs together and shopping trips and doing the fun mother-daughter things. OH I know it will be so hard not to have her around when the kids start to come. BUT you know what, God has used this loss to call me to a higher level, a deeper walk with HIM. I want to live my life in a way that honors Mom and glorifies God.  So I honor my Mom today by continuing to passionately pursue God with my whole heart. I can still hear her say to me today, “Christy, you’re a world changer! It’s in you!”

Love and miss you Mom more than you know!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom's out there! 

Here is a short video on the legacy of my mom that our church put together. Check it out! 

Legacy video of my mom 

http://vimeo.com/19050228