By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
This Sunday, May 9, is Mother’s Day. This is the one day a year we honor the women who have loved, encouraged, influenced, shared wisdom, and challenged us mentally, physically, and spiritually. These women can be quiet or out-spoken, short or tall, reflective or extremely funny, young or old, and live near us or far away. But they all share one beautiful trait: they loved us.
Consider the traits of those women who have modeled admirable qualities, and because of them, we are stronger and better equipped to journey life’s path.
Courage
These women demonstrated strength in the middle of adversity. They convinced us we could do anything God called us to do. Whether the situation called for courage to stand or courage to flee, they prepared us. Their reflections on our lives give us a boost of power.
Inspiration
We studied the lives of those women who beat the odds and did great things, whether anyone ever saw their actions or those deeds were kept secret. I treasure memories of a special woman who never told others how she’d blessed them.
Love
Many women in our lives practiced unconditional love. Their deep-rooted affection didn’t have stipulations; it simply was. Love doesn’t judge, draw lines, or is based on race, culture, or beliefs. A dear friend always lets me know I’m loved. She has a listening ear, even if the problem is my own fault.
Faith
Special women lived their faith and demonstrated how to stand strong when the rest of the world mocked God. They modeled how to pray and hold tight to our biblical beliefs. Two dear aunts who passed years ago inspired me to live a bold faith.
Wit
Some of the women in our lives were blessed with wit and made us laugh. No matter how sad a situation, they lifted their chins and found the words to express appropriate humor. This is my sister. When I need to see the world outside myself, I talk to her and she always makes me forget my troubles. Perhaps you are thinking of a dear woman in your life who always brought a smile to your lips.
Wisdom
Other mothers possessed the gift of wisdom and shared their insights. From these women, we found a desire to strive to learn something new every day. They instilled in us that when we stopped learning, we ceased to breathe. A writing friend is blunt with knowledge and wisdom, and I treasure her honesty.
What about the women in your life who shared their gifts to mold and influence who you are today? Can you share with us something about one of them?
Comments 11
My dear Mother who passed away in 1969 from an enlarged heart. Her Mother passed away when she was 13, leaving 5 younger siblings for her to help raise with her Father and a Grandmother. She was widowed twice and lost two babies. She was a godly woman and worked hard to care for her children. Several years ago at a Ladies Prayer Meeting at our Church, I asked the Lord to please tell my Mother how much I really did love her even though as a teenager I didn’t always act like it. That night I had a beautiful dream. I was sitting in a chair with my hands folded in my lap, as I had been at the Prayer meeting, and a pair of hands reached over and touched my hands and peace came with the knowledge that, Yes, my Mother knew that I did love her:~)) She was 76 when she went to Heaven, and now that I am 87 it may not be too much longer until I get to go see her again, after I have bowed at the feet of Jesus and given Him praise for saving me!……..until then I’ll just have to keep reading the latest Suspense novel written by the lovely DiAnn:~))
My Mom was an inspiration to me, and she urged me to work hard then I’d achieve my goals. I remember after graduating from high school she drove me to Des Moines, IA, to start college at the American Institute of Business. After she helped me settle in my room and drive away, I felt like my security blanket had been pulled out from under me! But then I remembered all she taught me while living on the farm about going after my dreams. She was so wise. She taught me to have faith in God.
She was a great Mom, and I do miss her so. She’s an angel now looking down on me from heaven.
Thanks, Diane, your mother is a hero to all of us.
My grandmother, Leora Wilson, was such a delight. She lived to be 97, so I enjoyed her for 43 years. She embodied unconditional love, in spite of losing three infants during the Great Depression and three sons during World War II. She’s the reason I’m writing today! Just finished the second book in a trilogy of “Leora stories.”
Hi Joy, thank you for sharing about your grandmother to all of us. Write on!
Hello! I recently discovered you and your books while doing research, very much looking forward to reading your work.
This will be the first mother’s day without my grandmother, who passed away in February. I grew up near her, so she was a strong presence in my life from the very beginning and we were quite close. I remember watching her many times taking care of my grandfather, who struggled after a stroke. He loved his beef like many Texas-born men, and even though she was not a beef-eater she never failed to fix it for him once he could no longer fix it for himself.
Watching her/ my grandfather’s marriage helped to show me what unconditional, selfless love was, and I will always thank her for teaching me the value of commitment.
Elizabeth, thank you for responding. Oh, I remember my grandmothers. They taught us so much about life and love. I remember when my grandfather lay in bed with the final stages of cancer. She doted on him and talked about their children with lots of sweet memories.
There are many who God has used to shape me for various reasons and he used us in one another’s lives from 25 to 95. I am so richly blessed. Today, I will talk about my mother in law. She has since passed with Alzheimer’s but her story of perseverance, surrender, commitment and service echo down through generations both here and abroad. She never tooted her own horn, didn’t have to be heard or recognized but served well, even the most difficult in the jungle and at home. Her heart for family and God’s mission were clearly evident throughout her life as a missionary to indians in Peru and as the supportive backing for a husband who often foraged in the jungle in search of sharing the gospel or seeing the unseen. Her work was less in man’s limelight but moreso in God’s direct line of vision. Behind the scenes is a most beautiful calling yet it’s not without its share of rough seas and misunderstanding. Mom’s favorite verses were Proverbs 3:5-6 but I saw a Colossians 3:23 kind of woman in her. Her legacy lives on and in reminded that whether a back story is ever heard or recognition never comes… Serving the audience of One inevitably ripples in unimaginable ways.
Danine, what a beautiful story of a godly-woman. I’m so glad you had this precious woman in your life.
I loved up these verses:
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Colossians 3:23
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
Dear DiAnn,
You embody all of these traits and I am blessed and grateful to know you. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. The more our heroines can demonstrate these traits in our stories the more interesting they will be.
Gratefully,
Theresa Faith
Thanks, Theresa, I appreciate you! I’ve been reading and studying the power of story in relation to how our brains process information. Strong heroines influence our readers!