Mother's Day Eve

Here are the beautiful women who three decades and more ago made me a mother.  My daughters Jen, Julie, and Amy are pictured here several years ago at Julie's graduation from medical school.  Though none of them is a mother, they each work harder than I ever have in my life.

Jen works long hard hours every week doing construction with Hosanna Industries, a Christian non-profit that builds and repairs homes for needy clients at no charge.  Julie's in her 3rd year of residency in ob/gyn (enough said) and Amy works in production for National Public Radio and does a fair amount of traveling.

Thirty years ago when they were 4 years, 2 years, and 3 months old I was just trying to make it through the days.  As I jumped out of bed to grab crying Julie in the middle of the night before she woke her sisters and settled with her in the rocking chair I might have had some thoughts about where we'd be as a family in 30 years.  But if I did, I never imagined my daughters becoming so accomplished and busy and living so far away.

Those days when we all lived together honestly seem like another lifetime but they bring memories of marvels and messes and a million moments of mundane miracles (mmm-maybe I overdid the alliteration a bit.)

Now, these decades later, I think of mothers around the world who are making good memories for their children even in the midst of their struggles.  They are praying and sacrificing to make better lives for their children, too.

And sometimes God uses a simple Operation Christmas Child shoebox to answer their prayers and provide a special miracle of hope and joy.

So on this Mother's Day Eve--thank you for packing your shoeboxes and giving those mothers another chance to be blessed.

Oh, and here's the woman who almost six decades ago was responsible for giving me life--

she'll be 99 years old in July and is a remarkable mother and role model.  You can read her story by clicking here.

Happy Mother's Day Eve to all mothers everywhere.