Last night, I asked my husband if his mother, who recently passed away, had a will. He said, "No, she didn't have anything to leave." I immediately defended my seventy-five year old mother-in-law, who lived as a single mother of seven children most of her life. My husband wasn't expecting this, yet I jumped on my Motherhood soapbox and began to speak. No, she didn't have anything to leave because she gave everything she had while she lived - physically, financially, mentally, and emotionally. With seven children and who knows how many grand and great-grandchildren, everything she had was probably sucked out of her to the point she had nothing left to give except herself - she was truly a giving Mother. She gave her children life and gave her life to her family until her last breath.
A Godly Mother is a living sacrifice for her family. A Mother puts the needs, wants, and desires of her husband and children before her own. A Mother will do what is necessary to provide a loving, peaceful home environment. A Mother will go hungry to ensure her children eat. A Mother will even give her thoughts, ideas, and suggestions to her husband and make him feel they were his! God must get the glory for a Mother's giving spirit because only He is capable of giving His all and still having more to give. Mothers are empowered by God to give as we do. Although we get tired, frustrated, irritated, and sometimes feel like we're going out of our minds, we continue to give in all aspects of life. Just when we think we have nothing left to give, God injects us with a refill of His strength, energy, and power. A Mother shouldn't have to leave anything when we leave this world, yet we still desire to - even then. Our will should include leaving a legacy of the Godly life we lived, the love of God we shared, and our supernatural gift of giving. We should leave an example of being a Godly Mother, not only to our children, yet to other mothers and mothers to be. Although it is important to financially prepare for our death, the most valuable possession we can leave is a joyful memory of the life we lived and shared with others.
Proverbs 13:22 (NIV)
A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children...
