~Mother's Day~

Happy Mother's Day!!!

 

Some of the treasures my Mother left to me…

         

Faith – My mother’s faith in God was personal and abiding.  She often told the story of her Grandmother leading her to the Lord.  Mom’s faith was not just a mental assent, but a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ; a relationship which He purchased with his own redeeming blood on Calvary, paying the wages for her sin, and which she received through repentance and faith.  I remember Mom hugging me after I was saved at the age of nine, and telling me how happy she was that I had accepted Christ as my own personal Saviour.

Peace – Mom had struggles in life, as we all do.  But she had a peace “…that passes understanding…” when all things around her were not peaceful.  We are all tossed by storms, and certainly she had her share of storms, but the peace of God carried her through each storm.  Watching God’s hand in her life has been a reminder of God’s faithfulness in whatever stormy situation I face.

Assurance – When Mom was told that she had cancer, again, she told me repeatedly that she was ready to die.  She had assurance of Heaven as her final destination.  This was not a “hope so” attitude, but complete confidence in her Saviour.  She was weak in body, and weary of this world, with its strife and struggles.   Death held no terror for her, instead it promised relief and rest.  This was a great example to keep my focus on eternity, find my assurance in the Word of God, and not get bogged down with earthly trifles.

Encouragement – As Mom’s body weakened and she knew her time here was limited, she was

especially careful to encourage each of our children in their individual areas of talents and skills.  She actively encouraged them to pursue their interests and work toward their goals.  She praised them for making right decisions – godly decisions – because personal choices have eternal consequences for us and for others. 

She was very supportive of our homeschooling, and enjoyed reading essays, outlines, book reports, and research papers that the kids had written.  She often shared books, articles, maps, etc. that she thought they would helpful and that they might enjoy. They liked sharing their learning experiences with Grandma during our visits together. Her compliments that we were doing the right thing by teaching the kids and that they were learning well, meant so very much to me!

Mom encouraged us with our businesses:  Tim’s dairy supply business and my hobby business selling Stampin’ Up! products and teaching stamp classes.  She liked that the children participated in these business ventures, gaining first-hand knowledge of business from the employee and the owner perspectives.

She also encouraged us to continue to serve the Lord.  After years as a Sunday School teacher, she was thrilled to hear that Karissa now taught a class, and shared materials and ideas with her. She was proud of Kelley playing piano for services, and Kaitlyn taking lessons to do the same.  She encouraged the kids to live right and be an example that encourages others to do the same.  Each time we planned an activity at the Church, I remember how she had been right in the center of those preparations in years passed.

I know how much her encouragement has meant to me, and it is my desire to follow her example by attentively encouraging others.

Love – Mom’s love for my dad will always be a special treasure to me. Their devotion to each other was a wonderful example to Tim and me. She gave herself sacrificially to him in every way because of the deep and lasting love between them. They were an intricate part of each other.  They complimented and completed each other.   His death left her vulnerable – she needed his strength, courage, wisdom, and discernment.  She was devoted to him, and the following years were very difficult for her in so many ways.

            She loved being a Mother.  She loved each of her children and each of her grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  She prayed for each fervently on a daily basis.

She didn’t always agree with her kids, but that never affected her love for any of us.  She taught me a lot about mothering, and I find myself telling my children, “Grandma taught me…”  With Karissa watching these little children in our home now, I have been able to pass along these tips for her to use. So many young parents today don’t have the benefit of this knowledge and experience.  I want to help my children be good parents.

A knack for teaching – Sunday school, Teacher’s Aid, Christian School teacher, 4-H leader, her own children and grandchildren – Mom taught many, many people many things for many years.  As God would have it, I became a teacher in many areas as well.  In fact, teaching has become a way of life for me.  I’m thankful for the myriad of the things I learned from her, and I strive to pass them on to our children, and to others, as God gives me opportunity.

Creative homemaking – Mom loved being home!  This, I also share.  It was always a busy home.  She kept it clean and tidy.  She was always productive:  sewing, canning, baking, etc. She made wise use of her time, and maintained a pleasant, inviting home.  In today’s busy society, I’m thankful to be content at home.  Our home is truly a haven to us.

Hospitality – I have a store of childhood memories of the many preachers and missionaries that either stayed in Mom and Dad’s home or at least enjoyed a delicious meal with warm fellowship. We are still enjoying many friendships made during those times.  These experiences were very enriching to me.

Books – Mom often read for the sheer enjoyment of reading; many times reading a book a day.  I did not learn to enjoy reading until in my thirties.  But we shared two common categories of books:  our Bibles and many good devotionals which we often shared with each other.  Mom’s Bible was almost always open, tenderly cared for and treasured.  It bore many markings as reminders of the Lord speaking to her and meeting her personal needs.  In the same way, my Bible is a very personal letter from my Lord to me; ready day and night, totally sufficient for my every need.  I’m privileged to share the Word of God with our children and continue this heritage.  It is also a great responsibility.  The Lord has enabled us to accumulate a large personal library over the years.  I’m thrilled to watch our children enjoy good literature.

Cook and Seamstress -   Mom was a great cook!  It was such a pleasure to sit down to a meal that she had prepared – a preparation that she really enjoyed. She and Karissa often shared recipes and swapped cookbooks.

 Although I enjoy cooking, especially for a crowd, I always enjoyed sewing more.   Mom’s delight and pure enjoyment in sewing was evident to all. I remember my first lessons on Mom’s old machine – sewing holes in notebook paper; first straight lines, then curved ones.  I was hooked!  I sewed a lot when Khara was young.  With the arrival of more babies, homeschooling, and limited space, I sewed less and less.  “Grandma” taught Khara to sew.  Dianna taught Karissa and Kelley.  My mom’s love for sewing lives on in Karissa, and perhaps others in the future.

Learning - Mom had many interests and was a life-time student.  She enjoyed learning new things.  She instilled this in me and my children, and often shared something new that she’d learned about natural health, cooking, or any number of subjects.  She was excited about Kelley’s interest in the medical field, Karissa’s interests in all the domestic arts, Kaitlyn’s love for the piano, Kaleb’s love of aircraft and facts & information of all kinds, and Katrina’s enjoyment of crafts and reading.   She encouraged me to continue to provide the children with resources and opportunities to continue their learning journeys.

A good spirit during suffering – The past few years brought drastically more difficult health issues for mom.  Basic functions – sleeping and eating – were difficult and sometimes impossible.  Her heart and mind were focused on Heaven and eternity more and more.  Her health made Church attendance impossible. That was a great disappointment to her.  She often shared prayer requests with us and we prayed with her more and more as her strength gave way.  She and dad had prayed during many a long night together.  Then it was up to us to pray her through each night.  If I woke during the night, my first thought was always to pray for mom – those prayers are no longer needed, since there is no night where she is living now! We never choose to suffer, but we can choose to trust our Creator in the midst of suffering and rest in His

ultimate purpose. 

As with every parent–child relationship, I also got some of mom’s less desirable traits as well.  Also, each generation will make its own mistakes, and have its own regrets.  My desire is not to criticize my parents for theirs’, but to learn from them.  I have my share of negative characteristics, some by birth, and some by choice.  This time of adjusting to Mom’s earthly absence has been a time of reflection and self-examination for me.

 I have many treasured memories of my Mom and with my Mom.  These are priceless!!! The goodly heritage my parents left cannot be taken away from me. The choices that I make in life, and my children as well, will either honor them or dishonor them.  I ask God’s help to make wise choices, that would have made my parents proud of me, even if that path is difficult at times.  Isn’t that what every parent desires? True honor is not in words, but actions.

It is my desire to live and love in such a way to leave a comforting, godly heritage to my own family and friends.

There are things around my house that mom had given to me over the years, but tragedy could destroy those in a matter of hours.  These memories of who my mother was and the impact that she made on my life cannot be displayed on a shelf;  they are more precious than anything that can be placed in a lockbox, and their value will continue to grow as they influence generations to come, far beyond what dollars and cents could ever measure.

This inheritance is simply priceless.

Thank you for accompanying me on this sentimental journey.  If Wilda Schmidt Fitzwater was ever a blessing in your life, thank God.  That’s the way she would want it – for her Heavenly Father to get the praise and glory for the things He had done in and through her.

I love you, Mom, and I sure do miss you.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Cindy