HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Happy Mother's Day, Beloved Sons and Daughters!
(Written in 1975 to my five sons, and now my beloved Daughters-in-law!)

My precious children!

How can I put into words the joy that is in my heart this Mother's Day? I must confess that so many times I have knelt in the dark of yet another day's end, begging God's forgiveness for my failures with you: my abruptness, harsh words, the ears that hear but tune out your silent pleas for understanding, the eyes that don't see the hurts of your little hearts, the omissions of simple pleasures and commissions of parental sins. I beg your forgiveness! I want to give you something this Mother's Day: a will of hope and a testament of God's love and mine.

I want to pass on to you a sustaining faith that will support you through your lives. My dear ones, I won't always be with you on the earth. You will go through crucibles of sorrows and trials. Don't allow them to defeat you! Some are tried in the furnace of affliction. Perhaps God will choose to refine you in this way because He wants to see His image restored in you. No matter what happens to you, praise, love, and thank your Saviour always. He has promised His strength to those who wait on Him. Man may fail, you may fail at times, but your loving Father will never fail you. I haven't always given you what you wanted--perhaps not even what you needed. I pray God will be the Sufficiency for my lacks, the Gentleness for my impatience, the Compassion for my misunderstandings, the Calm for my restlessness.

Dear ones, I want for you what God wants for you. He wants you to be His heroes, armed with faith, purity, and humility in a disbelieving, pleasure-seeking, vain world that has no time nor love for its gracious Creator. How sad! You have come into the world for such a time as this because God wants you to reflect His care and love to those who will cross your path of life. Fame and riches mean nothing. I beg you not to seek them! It may be that God will put you forward, but it will only be because He has a great work for you. But if He gives much He will expect much in return. Don't disappoint your beautiful Saviour! I thank you, dear precious gifts, for giving my life an eternal dimension--for giving me something to live, work, and strive for. You have inspired me and I love you deeply.

Happy Mother's Day!