Ephesians 4:1-3 says, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
On this day in which my mother would have turned seventy-two, I am on vacation with all of my family and am contemplating the meaning of life and what it means to live a life that actually matters and just how one does that. I can’t help but think about how much my mom loved the times that we were all together, so it is fitting that we are all together on her birthday. So, on this day, we will celebrate my mother and the life and legacy she left and I will continue to contemplate the meaning of life and think about the legacy that I will be leaving. When I think about my mom, there were many things she was known for, these are a few: her love of her family, her love towards others, and her laugh.
Her love for her family was fierce. A day did not go by that I didn’t think my mom loved me. I would venture to say that my siblings felt the same way. She told us every single day, hugged us, made sure we were taken care of, prayed for us without fail, every single day. I wish she was able to see life now and where it has come for me. I am thankful for so many things in my life that she was undoubtedly praying for before I was or even before I knew that I should. One of those things is Hannah. They would have loved each other.
Everyone was welcome in our home. She loved it when our friends came over and she loved cooking for them. She loved providing an environment that we felt we could have people over in and that she could love on them as well. Having our friends over was always a treat for her and always welcome. Being the obnoxious kids that my brother and I were, we used to joke that she could talk to and make friends with a wall because she didn’t know a stranger.
Her laugh stood out. As a child, this is one of those things that you think is annoying until you realize it is a trait that has somehow transferred to you as well. And a trait that is and was endearing until the end. If we were somewhere in public, it was always easy to figure out where our mom was because of this. But her laugh was constant and was a great indicator of her demeanor and the joy that exuded from her and defined her life.
Her life pointed others to the Lord because of these things. And it helped to create a legacy of love within our family. I think it did this because she wanted to do those things, but she also wanted to live a life that was worthy of being called a “Christian.” She wanted to be an example to all that came in contact with her.
I don’t know think my mom would have said she had a “life verse” or anything of the like, but this Ephesians passage surely seems like something that she lived her life by. As I sit here at half the age that she would have been and wonder what it means to live a life that has meaning and what it means to glorify God in all that I do, being humble, patient, and gentle while also bearing with one another in love is a great place to start. I am thankful for the 31 years that I had with my mom, I wish it would have been more, but she lived those years to the fullest and loved us and anyone she came in contact with as much as she could.
