Dear Tara Jean & Stephanie May,

Tredessa Christine, Rocker-Bo,

& Stormie Dae~

My munchkins.  My babies, mon bebes.  My adorable children.  My little brood. My life.  My joy.  My call.  My all.  My destiny.  My heritage.  My quiver-full.  My laughter and fun.  My hopes for the future.  My dreams and the fulfillment of them. 

My daughters and son – you are mine (at least on loan from heaven) and I am so pleased with you. You are my boast.  I am so grateful to God for the human beings He knit together inside my womb and how you were exactly what I needed and beyond all I ever hoped for. 

I wasn’t a good babysitter as a teen ~ gagged at diapering, thought I ‘d die if I ever had to clean up vomit.  I didn’t see myself as a good mommy candidate, but my ultra-fruitful ability to get pregnant from across the room changed everything and your birth, the physical act of your freshly created selves moving from my womb into my arms turned out to be, without fail in each of you, another miraculous act of God’s healing for my heart.  For each time He blessed me me with a child, my love capacity was increased in a way I did not think was humanly possible.  He trusted me.  And entrusted me with you, each of you…

“when — naked, soaked in sweat and blood, and a heart thumping from a marathon — you are squeezing onto your bosom ‘the whole universe wrapped in harmony with your soul’ and realize that this is the tiny body of your own baby. Mytyr, Mana, Mater, Muter, Madre, Mother, Mamma, you are the circle of life; heaven and earth pass through you.” (Eleftheria Mantzouka)

So on Mother’s Day, a day set aside to honor our mothers (and mine is so honorable), I want to thank you for making me a mom.  I want to bless you and tell you how much I love you and how grateful I am for the opportunity to find something of the redeeming grace of God in my life because of you.  There are things I have learned that I could not have any other way.  And I am humbled that He allowed me to know Him better and understand His amazing love by getting to be a mom.  I love you all.  I love the ones you have joined with as one who have become mine.  I love the babies you are rewarding me with in  my old age.  You are the children whom God has graciously given me, His servant.  Oh I am blessed.

And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”  Genesis 33:5 ESV

So, my ones, my Tara, my Stephanie, my Tredessa, my Rocky and my Stormie~ I bless you and love you and thank God for you.

The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace (Num. 6:24-26).

My prayer

So for the privilege of being their mom, I pray for my familia~ Dave, Tara and Hunter; Steph, Tris, Gavin, Guini and Gemma; Tredessa and her future husband and children;  Rocky, Jovan, Averi and Amelie Belle; Stormie and her future husband and children,  I bring them under your authority and covering, even as I come under your authority and covering. I cover my children and grandchildren with your blood – their spirit, soul and body, their heart, mind and will. I ask your Spirit to restore them in you, renew them in you.  Smile on the ones You gave me, Father. 

I bring the life and the work of Jesus over my family, my children and grandchildren and over all we are, the good, the bad and the times we haven’t understood one another;  the right things I did and the awful mistakes I made.  For You are enough for it all, Lord, and I thank you.   Bless the fruit of my womb.  And show me how to be the mom they need now, the one You created me to be because of Your great love for them… 

I love you, my kiddos.  You make my Mother’s Day happy.

Happy Mother’s Day To Tara, Stephanie and Jovan, too: three of the most amazing mommies I have ever known.  And to my friends and family who are mommies.  If I know you and like you, I also love the kind of mom you are.  Otherwise-I wouldn’t like you at all.  So: Good job!  Happy Day!