Vol. 17 No. 18 | May 11, 2014
When she first got married having kids was not high on her priorities. In fact, she wanted little to do with the idea. There was fear. There was concern. She had very little confidence that she was capable of being a mother. There was no rush. She was a wife and she prayed.
She was good with kids. Other people trusted her with their children and she always seemed do well when she interacted with children and seemed to enjoy the interaction. However, when anyone asked, “So when are you going to have children?” She would say, “I’m not sure.” She prayed.
Five years into the marriage she was ready…or as ready as any new parent can ever be. She was a wife who became a mother.
When she held her son for the first time you would have never known there was a time when she was not so sure about having children. Some of the fears were still there. “What if I do something wrong?” “Do I have what it takes to be a good mother?” She continued to pray.
She was protective. Some would say too protective…over-protective, but can a mother really be too protective? She senses things others do not. She sees things others do not. She hears things others do not. She knows things others do not. I suppose she has a right and responsibility to be at least a little too protective. She had become a mother, the world changed, and she loved it. She prayed more.
Nine years later she gave birth to a little girl. The world changed again. I suppose having a daughter brings a whole new set of challenges for a mother. You remember what you were like as a daughter and probably the negative things stand out more than the positive. You do not want to make the same mistakes your mother made and you want to make sure you do the right things that your mother did. So, she prayed.
With both children there were some rough times. There were some challenging times. There were some extremely frightening times. There were times of questioning her decisions and second guessing the decisions she had made. There were times of sadness. She prayed through them all.
There were more good times. There were more times of ease. There were more times of great confidence and trust that the Lord was leading and that He would see that these children were protected. There were more times when the times of confusion and fear turned into times of assurance and affirmation. There were more times of great joy. She prayed prayers of joy and hope.
That son grew to become a confidently gifted young man with a strong relationship with the Lord. That daughter grew to become a beautiful and talented young woman who loves the Lord with all her heart. According to God’s plan they journeyed a path that led them to a wife and a husband who loves the Lord and loves them. She’s a mother and a MIL (Mother-in-Law). Her prayers were answered.
News came that those two couples were to become parents. “Can this really be happening?” “Can we really be so blessed?” Again she prayed.
In due time two little girls came into her world. Tears, screams, screeches, songs and jumping for joy would become the norm. “Sharing this together as a couple, as parents, and with our children is just such beautiful thing!” She prayed prayers of joy over how God had exceeded her expectations. She’s a mother, a MIL, and now a Yei-Yei.
She is a woman who became my wife who became a mother to our children who became a MIL to our DIL and our SIL, who became a Yei-Yei. She has prayed through it all and is still praying.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV)
Thank You God for answering her prayers and for answering my prayers, and for going far beyond our wildest imaginations and expectations.
Kim, I love you. Happy Mother’s Day!
Tom
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2014. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.