June 8, 2012

Do you remember the first day you got to drive?  Do you remember who took you?  As my son and I went driving yesterday, it brought back a flood of memories. My mom was not the patient one when
it came to most things but when she instructed, she did it like a champ.  Her voice was always pitch perfect and she gave you the confidence you needed to go around each turn.  I loved the times we went to the parking lot and she would call out, "stop sign."  I can remember the 1977 station wagon coming to a complete halt and her eyes almost popping out of her head, but all she said was, "proceed with caution."

Helping my son, giving him confidence and watching him blossom into a man is an unbelievably wonderful experience for me.  I am continuing traditions.  Losing your parents, you wonder if the traditions and love they showed you will continue on in your children.  You worry that you weren't good enough, or at least, not as good as they were.  Like all parents, I make my fair share of mistakes and of course, at this age, I am an embarrassment.  Which always makes me laugh, because when I was growing up, I asked my mom to walk behind me so that no one knew she was with me.  But as I got older, I walked beside her, asked her for her advice, and respected her for all the many sacrifices she made for me.  I can stand a little payback now, if it means that her love continues through every generation.

I guess that's why I love tradition.  I love family and I love watching my boys blossom into men.  My job is to love, teach and send them forward to be men of God, fathers, and husbands.  They have had beautiful role models.  My parents demonstrated how love and respect can last a lifetime and I will forever be grateful for the tender care, words of encouragement and years of traditions.

Soon my boys will leave my home.   They will forge on their own journey.  Time is running out for me to influence them in the important things, like loving Christ with all their heart, taking care of people, being kind and working hard to provide.  As I look back, my parents gave me a road map and luckily, I have followed it.  I will continue as they did and look forward to the day I hold my first grandchild, watch my son's stand to wait for their brides and for every moment I can invest in the memories and legacies my parents left with me.

The one thing this world lacks is love.  I wish I could serve it on a platter to everyone.  We are molded by our circumstances but we always remember those that took the time to share a kind word, served us, or just rapped their arms around us and promised tomorrow would be better.  Love is a universal language.  I might not be able to speak Korean, Malaysian, Russian,  or Latvian but I can call out in love and pray for women everywhere.  I can love you even though I don't know you and I can ask our Father to provide people that will hold you in your sadness and encourage you in your victories.

I hope today holds nothing but great memories for you.  I hope that someone takes the time to show you how much they love you.  But mostly, I hope you show Christ and give someone a hug today or a word of encouragement.  He is love!  Pay it forward and show someone what it means to be loved by God.

Leviticus 19:18 NKJV:

    You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.


Deuteronomy 10:13  NKJV:


    And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season

My prayer today:

O, Lord, at every corner I am reminded of you.  Thank you for providing people we can love and if we don't have our own, thank you for providing strangers.  We all need to know the power of love.  Love can heal marriages, people, and nations.  Love is a commitment and a covenant.  We are to love you with all our hearts and we come before you confessing how much we love you.  As we go about our days today, bring forth memories of people taking the time to love us.  Please put them front and center so that when you deliver someone to us, we will love them, like we were loved.  And as always, we all need to feel Your mighty love.  Thank You for all You have done for us.  Thank You for the memories, good and bad.  Thank You for giving us hearts for You.  Please help us love those we don't know today.  We desperately want to pay it forward!  In Jesus Name, AMEN

Until tomorrow...