** The following is a post I wrote back in 2014, just four years after my mom died. Every word of it still rings true for me and I wanted it to have a permanent home on the Color Mother. 2020 Kelly definitely needed these reminders of who God is in the midst of hard times and I’ll bet some of you do too.
My post from 2014:
Around this time four years (*now ten years ago) ago my mom unexpectedly died from an aortic aneurism. Given the time of year and the holiday that usually makes my heart so heavy, I do the only thing I know how: pray to my Heavenly Father and beg for His presence and Holy Spirit to pour into me. This time He reminded me of some truths about who He is and the many ways He has loved me through these past 4 years…
God does not abandon, He restores brokenness, His love is unfailing, He sees my imperfections and makes me holy and blameless, He wants me to live an abundant life and sent His only son as a sin offering to ensure that. He is the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, He works together all things for my good, He understands and empathizes, His thoughts of me outnumber the sand, He desires to have an intimate relationship with me, and He calls me His daughter. The Lord says, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters”. I might not have an earthly mom to call me daughter anymore, but I have a Heavenly Father who calls me daughter. The King of the universe, who sits on His throne, has chosen me and loves me (it still blows my mind). And He does it perfectly, intimately, and intentionally.
As I thought more about who God is and how He has remained faithful throughout this very painful journey, I was reminded of countless times He used a woman or other mom in my life to reveal to me truth, to remind me that He has not left my side, or to show me more of His character. He has placed (and continues to place) women in my life at just the right time to pour into me, to point me to Jesus, to pray with me, to encourage me, to laugh with me, to cry with me, to praise God with me, to cook with me, to listen to me, to call me out, to offer wisdom, or to offer a hug. And every time He does this, I learn even more about who God is. Because he isn’t just a heavenly Father to me, but a mother too. He is my comforter, my listener, my healer, my caretaker, my refuge. He knows the desires of my heart and what I long for the most. How extremely intentional of God to minister to me through other mothers and women in my life.
So to all the moms, wives, and women in my life, thank you. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus. Because through you, God loves me. Through you, He teaches me more of Him. He reminds me that He will never leave me or forsake me, that He satisfies all of my needs, and that even though I don’t have my mom anymore on this earth, I have a God who deeply cares for me and can fill those holes in my heart in the most intentional ways. Though my mom can never be replaced, I am a pretty lucky gal to have so many amazing women in my life. Some do not have children of their own yet, or maybe never will, but they have been a mother to me in some way.
Wonderful women in my life, know and be blessed by knowing that God has very intentionally used you in the most important journey of my life: knowing Him.
Happy Mother’s Day.
