HONORING MOM

SALUTE TO MOM!

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30)  On January 1 of this year, my precious 91 year old mom slipped into eternity to meet face to face the One she loved the most.  Oh, I know she loved me and my brothers and sisters with all her heart, but we all know Who she loved the most.  When she invited Jesus to be a part of her life and accepted Him as her Savior at the age of 30, she began a life-long love affair with Him.  Not only her Savior, He became her best friend that she talked with every day and the One she talked about with everyone she met.  This humble homemaker with seven children somehow managed to find the time to introduce hundreds and hundreds of people, one by one, to their Lord and Savior as she lived out her life on this earth.  I would imagine a great number of them who have gone on before her greeted her as she stepped through those gates of Heaven—sales clerks, grocery carry-out guys, door-to-door salesmen, waitresses, neighbors…

The joy she felt day after day as she introduced others to her Best Friend carried her through many difficult times.  When the challenges of life were overwhelming, she would overwhelm the challenges with the thrill that came from introducing yet another searching soul to the One who brought her so much joy and fulfillment.

In May, we spent a day honoring our mothers, and I honored my mom as I spoke in the Sunday morning service at Holly Hill New Heights Community Church.  Unashamedly biased, I shared that not only was my mom the best mom anyone could ever have, but she was also the wisest person I have ever known.  “She who wins souls is wise,” and she was really wise!  The story of her life makes me want to do better and makes me want to be wiser—and I know just how to do that!