Early Years

This week it’s been 4 years since death took her from us. I found myself walking down memory lane, and once again thanking God for the Mom he gave me. It’s appropriate that as Mothers’ day and Mom’s birthday approach, I put words to the thoughts circling around in my head.

Life with Mom in the Early Years.

As a child I didn’t always appreciate mom, especially when I was in trouble, or if I felt like she was being too strict. She made us work helping around the house, doing the dishes and other chores – no excuses.  It’s what family did.  I can still hear her saying, “You can do it and be miserable, or you can do it and be happy. Either way you’re going to do it, so you just might as well be happy!”

She had this poem right over the kitchen sink. I saw it so many times it is engraved on my memory.

“Thank God for dirty dishes.

They have a tale to tell.

While others may go hungry,

We’re eating very well.

With home, and health and happiness

I shouldn’t want to fuss.

For by this stack of evidence,

God’s been good to us.”

- Author unknown

Complaining wasn’t tolerated and there was no sympathy for whining. Of course if we were hurt we could cry, but not for long!

If we got in trouble at school, we were in trouble at home afterwards! And no blaming the teacher! We were held accountable for our actions and expected to behave ourselves.

Birthdays and Christmas were a big deal. And Mom made them special. She also wanted to ‘be fair’, making sure we each got the same number of gifts, no matter if they were socks or books or some other small thing. She liked to celebrate. Mom loved to read and she passed her love of reading on to us. Every celebration was an occasion to give us books. And we always had to write thank you notes for gifts we received from others. 

Church was not optional. If there were services, we were going. And we’d better sit quietly and pay attention.  Attendance on Sunday morning (Sunday school and church service), Sunday evening (Youth group and church service), and Wednesday prayer meeting were the norm.  If we misbehaved during church we were sure to hear about it afterward! The Bible was to be listened to, read, respected, obeyed and memorized.

Ministry was a family affair.  Sometimes mom brought work home from the office, stuffing missionary letters into envelopes and such, and we’d all sit around the table after dinner and get it done. We were expected to understand that sometimes mom or dad, or both, had evening meetings to go to. And sometimes they brought people home with them and it was expected that we would be friendly, hospitable and respectful to guests.  Dad preached at various churches and when he was a guest speaker he’d often take my brothers and me along as the “special music.” I was scared to be up there, on the platform in front of people, but that didn’t matter and I got over it. And every summer we moved onto the Bible Camp grounds where Dad was the camp director.

Supper was always at 5:30 and we were to be there, early if possible so we could set the table and help get it on. We ate what she put on the table, like it or not. Thankfully, mom was a good cook! And we cleared the table and cleaned up afterwards, right after Dad got out the Bible and read for family devotions.  

And what did I learn from all that?

·         That I was loved.

·         To work hard.

·         To be appropriately tough.

·         To take personal responsibility for my own actions.

·         To love books.

·         To celebrate.

·         To respect others.

·         That people are more important than things.

·         That church is a vital part of Christian growth and experience.

·         To love God and His Word.

·         That all those verses I memorized as a child are still in my heart today.

·         That being on a platform in front of people is no big deal.

·         That family is important.

·         To appreciate what God gives us and express thankfulness.

There’s so much more to say, but maybe that’s enough for a first installment.

Thanks, Mom, for all that you taught me, and for how much you loved me.

I love you and miss you.

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.” 

Proverbs 31:30