A Love From a Mom
By KC
Unfailing love and unending commitment are traits that I know only Christ can embody. For people like us, these traits come and go, slip between our fingers, as we attempt with our human nature to do things that are supernatural. God’s love and commitment through Christ is exactly supernatural, and by even God’s standards, awesome.
Firstly, God’s unfailing love has been shown all throughout all time, as Paul wrote in Ephesians that “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” [1]. Even before the foundation of creation, God’s heart and mind conceived of a people that he would love unfailingly throughout all time, even before they manifested themselves physically. What is just as stunning is that God has an unending commitment towards his people.
For I am assured that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rules, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” [2]. God never lets go of the ones that He loves, even if we decide to turn our backs like the rebellious children we can so often be. As a good father would discipline, raise, and nurture children of honor, integrity, and character, even more so does our heavenly Father do the same for his children.
But why am I beginning with an excerpt of God’s love and commitment in a letter to my mom on Mother’s Day? Should not the main subject of this letter be to my mom, who tirelessly raised me with undying commitment? Should not the main subject of this letter be to my mom, who loved both my sister and I even when fighting for that love became near impossible? My hope is that by the end of this letter, you may realize that my mom is the closest human embodiment of God’s love and steadfastness that I know.
To start, my mom wakes up at 6 AM daily to walk Teddie at P Park. She loves Teddie so much, even though she had to put up with his unwanted excrements inside the house when he was younger. The simple fact of having put up with Teddie and then spending so much time with him just goes to show that her love does not only extend towards people and that it is not a short fuse; instead, it goes to even the animals in her care and causes her to be very slow to anger, just like her Jesus.
My mom’s love is also shown to her church and cell group, as she never fails to be hospitable to hosting celebrations and brightening up the mood to those around her. I can tell, even by cursory glances, that she makes a big deal in her friends’ lives. She has shown them love even when their lives have been difficult, even when personality clashes and obstructive psychological walls have been erected to protect from the risks of intimacy. My mom has a keen and uncanny ability to see through people’s walls and minister, although maybe unintentionally, to their pains with her glowing smile and friendly hospitality.
My dad has been especially blessed with my mom’s love. In conversations with my dad, he liked joking about how my mom was not the sharpest tool in the shed, but that she undoubtedly had the biggest heart in the family. My dad experienced her love from across the world because as he worked in China on a startup business, my mother was still in the states to take care of two difficult children. Even though my dad was not able to be in the presence of her love in the states, he was able to see her love and commitment to his family manifest itself in the short daily phone calls that they shared. He was able to tune into the great things that God was doing through her in the love and strength she exhibited in her family. Ten thousand kilometers was not able to separate the ten thousand sacrifices and deeds that my mom blessed with her love.
My sister has been one of the primary recipients of our mom’s love. She will not be afraid to admit that she has given our mom an incredibly hard time in raising her up in character, intellect, and safety. Many times they have fought, many times my sister and I have fought, but even amidst a hostile atmosphere, my mother was able to not only hang on to her love towards her daughter, but overcome fear, anxiety, and sorrow through prayer and following Christ’s exemplary love. I think that the primary reason of my sister’s wellbeing and peace is, besides the work of God, is my mom’s steadfast love and care.
Finally, it has been an honor for me to be under the care, authority, love, endurance, character, humor, and grace of my wonderful mom. Her overall personality has never failed to strike me with serendipity and every moment with her has been joyful. Her personality has been molded first and foremost by the Holy Spirit and His indwelling and through that molding and shaping the Holy Spirit has had so many opportunities to show Himself through my mom’s bold love.
When my mom told me that she wanted to do ministry and bring Christ’s light to China, I could not think of a better woman to do the job. Sure my mom does not have Bible school training nor does she have ordination in any churches, but her sheer example of care and love for people has proven to me that she will be a great minister of the good news in a place that so desperately needs it. I know she will be used powerfully and make a great impact in the lives of people there as she has made such a huge impact on the lives of people here.
I love you mom, and this letter is my admiration for the love that you poured out into your community, friends, and family. Happy Mother’s Day; have fun, you deserve it.
紅花的話：
母親節到來之際，我想，收獲一份來自兒女的祝福和感謝，是每一位母親從心底期盼的禮物，它比任何花錢買來的禮品都更顯珍貴。撫育孩子成長，使他們行在當行 的道上不偏離，這是上帝托付給父母管家的責任。那麽，在母親節這天，孩子們如何表達他們對母親的愛，他們說出的話語，就是一份對我們平時管教的回饋。
一年一度的父親節，母親節，感恩節等表達感恩的節日，我都會要求孩子們寫出點真情實感的文章，借此表達對生活的感恩，對生養他的父母感謝。不是說我想聽表 揚的話，（當然如果他們說了，我會十分高興），更主要的是，以我喜愛寫作的人看來，心裏想一想，嘴裏說一說，和整理思想然後寫成文字，是截然不同和天壤之 別的差異。有愛，要表達出來，不在乎多少，而在乎一份感恩的心。
今年的母親節，說實話我沒有要求兒子寫關於母親節的文章。一來他已經步入大學，課業繁重，尤其這個月是Final 考試，複習很緊張；二來孩子已成人了，世界觀已經形成，該做什麽和不該做什麽，如何去做，怎樣做好，他完全自己把握。
母親節的早上，我剛打開電腦，兒子就上來與我Skype, 我們象平時一樣，隨便聊了些關於他考試的話題，然後就各自在網上忙碌自己的事情。我心中納悶，這個母親節，難道兒子忘記了嗎？怎麽沒有說一句“母親節快 樂”給我？五分鍾後，兒子給我的郵箱裏送了份文件。我打開一看，題目是：“A Love like Christ's” － 象耶穌的愛。
我對兒女付出的愛，和天下所有母親一樣，隻是一份平凡的母愛。兒子愛我深切，用耶穌的愛來比喻我對子女的愛，讓我羞愧和難當。讀完這篇理科生寫的母親節感言，我很感動。我感動在於，孩子懂我，理解我。愛是永不止息。謝謝孩子。
我的愛，當然不可能與耶穌之大愛相比，但是我喜愛兒子寫給我的這封信，也願意分享給友人。但是，我把題目改了，變成”A love from a Mom”。
祝福全天下的母親們，在這一天都過得愉快和美滿。
