She Amazes Me.

The other day I was peeling potatoes and I remember being in Idaho watching my mom peel a whole bag of potatoes for dinner.  One might think, big deal.  But it was.  This last Febuary my mom lost her vision.  It was unexplainable.  It happened soon after her knee replacement surgery.  She woke up one morning and because she had lost sight in one eye a few years earlier she knew what was happening.  She prayed.  She begged God not to take the sight in her other eye.  As the days went on she slowly lost her vision.  I remember her calling me and telling me.  We both cried on the phone and I spent many and hour praying and asking God to stop it.  Give it back to her. She is so independent and active.  What will this mean?  How will my dad do it all?

My mom kept going.  Kept fighting.  Kept LIVING!  Not that she did not have down days or moments or that she does not have hard days today but she keeps living and growing and learning.  She says that she has never been closer to God than now.  She depends on Him daily and gives Him all the glory in all that is going on.  Yes glory even though this is hard she has joy and purpose and is thankful for so much.  God does not promise us that nothing bad is going to happen to us.  But He does promise that He will walk beside us, hold us, and comfort us.  If we trust Him and depend on Him we will make it through.  She is making it through.  With grace and strength that amazes me.  Grace and strength that comes from Him.

She irons, does the laundry cooks, cleans, goes to church, goes to Bible studies, shopping, travels with my dad, encourages friends, reaches out to others, loves her family, and just keeps on living and living with purpose.  Every day she gets up exercises, has her quiet time with God, gets ready for the day.  Right down to hair and makeup.  She asked me when I was there how she looked.  Did her hair and make up look ok.  I realized I had not said anything because she looked so awesome.  She has always been one put together lady.  Nothing has changed in that regard.  She is still one put together lady.

She amazes me and am I so honored that she is MY mom and that I and my children have such a Godly example.  As I was peeling those potatoes I closed my eyes and tried to peel them like she did.  I didn't do the job she did that afternoon.  Mine still had brown peel on them. Yep, amazing!!

Don't tell her I posted these pics of her.  She will kill me!!  But here she is this summer with some of her 13 grandchildren.