I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 2 Timothy 1:5 (NIV)
Today is my oldest son’s birthday. It is also my mother’s birthday. He turned twenty-one; she would not like it if I stated her age. For the entire nine months I was pregnant with him, she predicted he would be born on her birthday even though his due date was six days earlier. Sure enough, she was right. Even though I had to have an unplanned cesarean section to do it, on 8:36 on the evening of her birthday, he entered this world. She says he was the greatest birthday gift she ever received. I was blessed because even though I had to go back to work when he was six weeks old, I knew he was well cared for every day. Rather than go to day care, for the first four years of his life, he went to grandma’s instead. Often, he went in his pajamas and had breakfast with her. He could lounge around and play rather than be rushed off to “school” at so early an age. He was read to, played with and loved all day long. Grandma took care of him when he was sick and disciplined him when he was bad. For several years, she carried a small potty around in her car to help with toilet training. When he got older, she took him to half day preschool. Later, she picked him up from big school in the afternoon. Along with my dad, in the summer’s they toured America in an RV. They visited most states and hundreds of national parks. The seeds were sown for the career path that he has chosen as a young adult. For many years, they also went to visit my grandmother every week to attend to her needs. As a result, he grew to know another generation of our family. My mother is a prayer warrior. Just mention a concern and you will know that she will be talking to God about it shortly. She is also soft spoken. She does not rile easily and prefers the role of peacemaker. She is a determined woman who works to make life better for those around her. For many years, she taught Sunday School and led the Vacation Bible School programs at her church. It was at one such summer program, that my son accepted Jesus as his Savior and became a Christian. She loves to participate in the shoebox ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, and each year collects hundreds of such boxes from friends, family and fellow church members. She also saves food labels and sends them to missionaries who use them to buy supplies and vehicles for their schools and churches. At her knees, my son learned a love of books, nature, history and travel. But more importantly, he learned to follow God, to be compassionate, to care about others and to serve. What greater gifts can anyone give? My child may have been her best birthday gift, but I think my mother was his as well.
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