This is the week of my mother’s birthday. She’d be eighty-six; she left us for her eternal home more than eleven years ago.
I confess that I didn’t understand her full value and positive impact (I probably still don’t – maybe never will) until she was gone. With her missing from the earth now, I often find myself reflecting on the way she used quiet moments to teach me and help me know God. She actually had a way of creating quiet moments, even amid the noises of life.
As a parent and grandparent, my eyes are ever open to opportunities to impact my kids and grandkids the way my mom did. I confess, I’m not as good at it as she was, but at least I have something to shoot for.
In case you’re interested, here are some things she accomplished with her whispers:
She taught me to be still and know God. I can’t tell you how many times I was in turmoil, nearly always self-inflicted, when she would move in close to get my attention and softly ask a thought-provoking question, like, “Have you asked God what He thinks about it?”
She taught me to be genuine. Mama played the piano and taught two of my sisters and me to harmonize, perform well for an audience and carry ourselves with an air of professionalism. I feel safe in saying that we were pretty good. We often won contests and were generally known and acknowledged as making beautiful music.
Sometimes, when we were practicing, she would stop and say, “Make sure you mean what you’re singing, It ain’t worth a flip if you don’t sing it from your heart.” She’d speak it softly, but her meaning was loud and clear. It seemed trite at the time. But when I went on to earn a degree in music, and even sing professionally for a time, I took that lesson with me as it echoed in my heart many times during my practice and performances.
She taught me to be humble. It isn’t easy to teach someone to have confidence and meekness at the same time. Nor does everybody have a knack for inspiring ambition while having you keep a down-to-earth mentality. Mama would do that by reminding me of that truth with the simple statement, “Everything good about you was a gift from God, so make sure He’s pleased with you.”
To be honest, those lessons didn’t take, since I didn’t have ears to hear them, until probably ten or twelve years after she spoke them. Truthfully, I’m still learning them today.
I can still hear my mother’s whispers. And how powerful they are! Thank you, Mama, and happy heavenly birthday!
