a tribute

after the last few days, i've once again realized how perfect my mom is for me. and even more importantly, how much her life reflects Christ.

ever since i was little, i can remember my mom constantly serving us. i also remember going to friends' houses and the moms slept in on saturdays, left dishes piled in the sink, constantly planned fun stuff for themselves with friends/husbands, and i remember thinking that was weird. while i know most of these moms lived for God, their strengths were in other areas, though they never neglected their kids in any way. but it seemed weird to me still because my mom never slept in, tried to keep the sink empty and always had the laundry going, and rarely planned fun outings for herself, but instead spent most free time doing fun things for and with us.

while it used to seem weird to me the way other moms did things, i now realize my mom is the weird one. and not in a bad way at all. she excels at serving her family. she goes over and above in the category of putting her family before herself. and this, more than any other way, is how i see Christ in her.

proverbs 31 says

an excellent wife who can find? she is far more precious than jewels.

my mom is an excellent wife, and she is indeed far more valuable than all the riches in the world.

the proverb continues on to say

she works with willing hands...
she rises while it is yet night...
she makes her arms strong...
her lamp does not go out at night...
she opens her hands to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy...
she makes linen garments and sells them...
she opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue...
she looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness...
charm is deceitful and beauty is vain but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. give her of the fruit of her hands and let her works praise her in the gates.


wow. my mom excels at daily living out what it is like to be a Godly woman. and what a better way to teach and train her four daughters than to live out a Christ-like example every single day.

she works with willing hands
my mom complains less than any other person i know. she does not grumble or gripe when she is left to do the laundry again, or when it's time to pick up. but instead she frequently offers to clean up the kitchen after dinner so that we might go finish homework or run off to some fun engagement. willing hands, i tell you.

she rises while it is yet night- her light does not go out at night
she is basically always up before me in the mornings. even on saturday, her one day to sleep in. she still rises early to begin her day, and she usually begins with God. spending time with Him is of first importance, and she displays that by making that the first thing she does. she stays up late often times to complete her work, to pick up after everyone, or to ensure we are all home safe and sound.

she makes her arms strong
i've always thought my mom had the prettiest hands. now, i know it is because her hands and arms are continually busy, working to ensure everyone else is comfortable.

she opens her hands to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy
even while my dad was out of work for 17 months, i still found thank you notes in my mom's room from families thanking her for the generous check or gift she had given them, because their family was also struggling financially. she never drew attention to her giving, but God used her generous heart to bless others regularly. i know of many times she purchased gifts for others and then had to run an errand. a couple times i went with her and found her errand was to return that thing she bought for herself in order to pay for something for someone else. and we had gotten so excited that she actually bought something for herself for once. we should've known.

she makes linen garments and sells them
she works hard at her full time job to help support our family. and she does an excellent job. and then she puts in extra hours tutoring to save up money for the future, go ahead and pay that other bill, or to give us swimsuit money for the summer. she is not lazy and she is not stingy.

she opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue
i personally think i have gained the most wisdom-next to the Bible- from my mom. she almost always has a Biblical answer or solution and does not neglect to get right to the heart of the issue. though this wisdom at times is hard to hear, i always look back and see that it was indeed wise. she studies God's word and is close to her Savior, and in turn imparts wisdom to others.

she looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness
she is always on the look out for us. she cares for both our physical and spiritual needs. my mom is not idle. she works hard five days a week and then comes home and works her second full time job being a wife and mother, and a stinkin good one at that. lazy and slothful are not things my mom practices.

give her the fruit of her hands and let her works praise her in the gates
that's the point of me writing this. i'm overcome with gratefulness for her and want for her God glorifying deeds to be praised. while she never draws attention to herself, her actions and life are indeed worthy of attention because Christ is alive in her and doing a good thing through her.