She walked extremely fast, at all times. I remember as a kid trying to keep up with my mom’s pace. In her much later years, her pace slowed a lot. Finally, I was slowing down for her to keep up with me, and I did so gladly, enjoying every moment spent with her.
Our pace varies in life, and this is good and necessary. Are you running right now or leisurely walking? Go ahead and slow down at times, and sprint all out at times, but keep going!
The most important thing is whose company you keep as you amble or run along. Amazingly, the Lord invites us to walk with Him! He never leaves us behind and seems to graciously match His pace to ours, tenderly leading us, if we only allow Him to.
I will always treasure memories of walks with my mom. She is now in heaven with the Lord, and when I do see her again, I hope I’ll be able to keep up!
A walk at the beachA walk in the cityA walk in the country
“The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He renews my life;
He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake.”
(Psalm 23:1-3)
I am a sinner, saved by grace
One day I’ll see my Savior’s face
From glory to glory He sets my pace
Praise from a sinner, saved by grace
One of the last photos I have of my mom. She could no longer walk, but remained steadfast in her faith and joy in Jesus.
Mom and I enjoyed many walks and hikes together, like the one in this beautiful, wild meadow.
When she heard the news, her
immediate response was that she wanted to “die well”. That night, I told my
husband, Mike, that we needed to make a “Going to Heaven” song mix for her. He
replied that he had been thinking the very same thing. My mom is now there, in
heaven. She placed her trust in Jesus as her Savior many years ago. When she
was diagnosed with leukemia and informed that she only had days or months to
live, that trust continued. As Pastor Mike McClung stated at her memorial service,
she lived well, and she died well. I would say that her whole life was a song
of praise.
We had so very many amazing adventures
together! One year I decided to make a card for her entitled “Mom, do you
remember…”. I placed an old photograph on the front and filled the inside with
short sentences summing up some of the memories we shared over the years.
Here’s a short sample:
Mom, do you remember…
…taking Jim and me for walks in the woods while Heidi and Amy were in
school?
…playing your guitar and singing “Jesus is the Light, He’s the Light of
the world”?
…you making a zillion cookies every Christmas and packaging them for us
to deliver to our neighbors?
…you always making my friends feel so welcomed and loved?
…climbing that fire tower at the Grand Canyon?
…all the prayers, tears, and laughter shared together?
I actually remember these things and even a few more!
Mom really enjoyed life, and she made it a joy
for everyone who knew her. She taught me so very much, from how to bake pies to
how to try to look for the good in every situation. It’s been over 6 years
since she died, and I still miss her. However, I rejoice in knowing that I will
see her again, because she also taught me to trust in Jesus as my Savior. I am
so thankful for her life, her love, and her example! What do you appreciate
about your mom? Perhaps you can make her a “Do you remember…” card.
If your mom has not been all that a mom
should, I am truly sorry. Please know that there is a God who loves you and
cares for you deeply. He heals hurts, restores lives, and fills with joy. You
can rely on Him always.
“And so we know and rely on the love God has
for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” 1
John 4:16
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