They dared to grow up on me. Where did the time go?
Somehow, time slipped past, and I couldn’t recall when or how I seemed to have missed it. As mommas, we all hit that day of reckoning when the reality that our babies, those sweet little ones with the tiny fingers and toes we used to kiss gently, blossomed into full-fledged adults. My heart grew a little sad. It wasn’t a sadness that held regret, but a lonesome sadness–missing the times when ...
I was never a mom who dreaded her children. I tried to absorb every moment. We were a blended family, but to me, all the kids were “mine.” We raised them equally, loved them doubly, and missed them fully when they moved away from home to begin their adult lives. I hoarded those memories.
I love how Luke shares about Mary, the mother of Jesus, and how she pondered what the shepherds said they’d seen and heard. She held each word, each vivid picture in her heart. Imagine being the mother of Jesus, having the insight she had, and knowing only enough to understand that this infant was set aside.
Mary knew she had to remember every cherished moment. Luke described this perfectly. Being chosen as the bearer of God incarnate, Mary was but a child herself. Yet even as a young woman, she was the one God selected for a task that would be, at the least, a challenge. Still, she pondered every moment.
That’s what moms do. They ponder those moments with their babies. Whether they’ve borne them from their own bodies or are blessed to adopt, a mother’s instinct doesn’t change. She holds that baby, takes in every scent, wrinkle, and smile, and cherishes them.
The older I get, the longer I soak in those past moments from infancy to adulthood. I find myself drying my eyes because my children no longer need me as they once did. Now, I am their supporter, mentor, guide, and the one who loves them unconditionally. Like Mary, I hold to those precious moments only a mother can understand.
On this Mother’s Day, I am grateful. I don’t need flowers or cards–I simply need the love of my sons. Ponder the cherished memories and rejoice in the lives God has entrusted you to raise. They are gifts and blessings given from the Father of all.
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Cindy K. Sproles is a best-selling, award-winning author. She is a speaker and a conference teacher who teaches nationwide. Cindy is the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries, www.christiandevotions.us, and www.inspireafire.com. She serves as a writing mentor with WRAMS (Writing Write Author Mentoring Service) and is the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.