Fruit of My Mother’s Garden

Recently, I was in a department store and I came across several Mother’s Day coffee mugs that were on clearance. Usually, Mother’s Day items are wiped off the shelf by that Sunday evening, but this year, people were afraid to shop. There were no “fancy sit-down dinners” in Mom’s favorite restaurants. In many cases, people were afraid to even visit Mom. The girls and I made our cards and we spent just a few minutes in my mother’s back yard that day. (This year has been a strange year – and we’re only half-way through it!)

I was tempted to grab a few of the coffee mugs – one for my mom, my mother-in-law, and even for ME! But I reminded myself of the Mother’s Day card that I held on to for at least 4 years because I kept forgetting that I had it! I even told my mom to remind me not to buy another card because I already had one to give her.

I eventually chose a random day to give that card to my mother because I was tired of forgetting about it.

“Everyone has a mother. Mine is the best!”

That’s what one of the coffee mugs said, and it is true. Everyone does have a mother and the owner of that mug definitely has the best mom! Why? Because mothers are a gift and grandmothers??? Grandmothers are an absolute treasure! Their love is unconditional, and their wisdom is irreplaceable. They remind me of the insurance commercial, “They know a thing or two because they’ve seen a thing or two”.

Psalm 92:12-15 speaks of mature trees that still bear fruit.

12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, 15 proclaimings, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him. (NIV)

To me, that sounds like my mother (even though I would never use the term “old age” to describe her)!

When I think of my mother, I smile, because she is a beautiful woman of God. She was married to my father for over 40 years. She stood as a pastor’s wife for 39 of those 40 years. She raised 6 children. We all graduated from college, we all love each other, and we all love God. I can’t think of a greater success story!

Every once in a while I will tell her, “I don’t know how you did it”. She will often reply, “If I act a little crazy now, it’s because I am, and I have every right to be!” One thing I am sure of is that if I do half as good with my girls as she did with me and my siblings, then I would have done an exceptional job!

I’m not sure if she knows what a treasure she is to our family as a grandmother. Although she is not the grandmother with the patience to keep all of her grandchildren for the entire summer (I figured this would be the case many years ago when she – jokingly, but seriously – threatened that each of us would carry our babies to school in our backpacks if we got pregnant), she IS the grandmother that will check on each of her grandchildren daily during a pandemic and speak life into their young hearts. She knows her grandchildren and loves them equally, yet she manages to show each of them the love they need as individuals.

She is the grandmother that challenges her grandchildren to learn scriptures and rewards them with ice cream or money if they can quote certain ones from memory to her first (even though she sometimes makes “mommy and daddy” supply the prize if their child wins)!

She encourages them to do their best, and she challenges them to put their best into action.

She is their number one fan and biggest cheerleader, and her diplomacy never unveils spiteful criticism.

Her humor is sweet with just enough salt to cook up a belly full of laughter.

She is teaching them, and she is still teaching me! The little things she does with her grandchildren remind me of what she did for me as a child, and I am encouraged to be a better mother.

She is like the mature tree that Psalm 92 speaks of. She still bears fresh fruit for her family declaring the Lord as her rock. Her contributions to our family can never be duplicated. Her wisdom gathered from living is priceless, and she is far more precious than rubies (Proverbs 31)

I thank God for the fruit of my mother’s garden.

Little POW-wow, Pearls of Wisdom

· We are all guilty of overlooking the value of maturity, but God honors and recognizes its importance and worth. How can you honor the mature fruit bearers in your life?

· Every mom is not a great mom. If you did not have a great mom, how can you show love and forgiveness and help remove some of the weeds surrounding her fruit?

· I am blessed to have known all of my grandparents, and I tell stories to my daughters about them so that they can understand who they are a little better. My oldest daughter needs to know that she enjoys crossword puzzles because her Great- Nana enjoyed doing them and had stacks of them on her nightstand. How can you bring the fruit of a loved one who has passed on to your family?

Tune My Heart…

Rascal Flatts is one of the most influential country groups in modern history. Vocalist Gary LeVox, multi-instrumentalist Jay DeMarcus and guitarist Joe Don Rooney have been topping the country and pop charts since 2000. They have had several award-winning albums and hits such as “What Hurts the Most” and “Bless the Broken Road”.

“My Wish” is my absolute favorite country song of all time! I have to be careful not to listen to it 20 times back to back. The words express what every parent wants for their child and what every grandparent wishes for their grandchild. Enjoy!