As Mother’s Day is approaching, I find it fitting I talk about some special mothers.

My grandmothers had hearts of a servant.  My Mamaw could not sit & enjoy much of anything when it came to meal time.  Meal time was her time to shine.  She was a wonderful cook.  When you were at her house, you were her guest.  And let me tell you, she was not going to have her guest WANT for anything.  She was just not that kind of hostess.  When we ate, she would sit beside my Papaw.  There she was at the best angle to hop up & get anything you would need.  If you needed a spoon, she could hop up & be at the silverware drawer in an instant.  If you needed more sweet tea, the jug was on the counter right behind her.  She thoroughly enjoyed serving her family & friends.  Not just at mealtime, but whatever we needed, she was there with helping hands.  She sewed for us, she gardened, she made quilts, so that we could keep warm in the winter, she tended to chickens, cows, and the occasional dog or cat.  Most importantly, she tended to people.  She kept her grandchildren during the summer & after school.  And any other time in between.  She visited & sat with people who were sick.  Thank the Good Lord my Papaw passed on before her.  He would have been completely useless without her.  She did everything for him.  When he worked at the TVA, she got up every morning & made him biscuits, eggs, & some sort of porkish meat.  These weren’t my beloved frozen biscuits or canned biscuits.  These were the real deal.  Every day.  When my Mama got so sick, she came & sat with her every day.  She cooked, cleaned, & took care of Mama until Mamaw passed away suddenly one night in her sleep.  That’s just who she was.  A wonderful Christian servant at heart.

My Mama Boyce was also a true servant.  She had 10 children.  She pretty much lived for her family.  She cooked & cleaned & took care of chickens, dogs, cats, & what have you.  She gardened like nobody’s business.  This little lady had a green thumb if I’ve ever seen one. She had the most beautiful roses I’d ever seen.  To this day, I tell you, I’ve never seen one as pretty.  She loved flowers & plants.  She cooked the best green beans I have ever put in my mouth.  She enjoyed having us at her house.  She took such good care of us.  Sometimes to a fault.  I can remember being young & getting in trouble for sitting in the living room calling to her to bring me a drink or a peanut butter & jelly sandwich or whatever it was my little heart desired.  My daddy told me my grandmother was NOT there to wait on me hand & foot. That I should get up & get what I needed for myself.  Funny how he would have even known about this behavior except I probably made my brother mad & he spilled the beans about my bossy pants.  She kept her house spotless.  She was always willing to help others, just like it was her job.  She was so humble, too.  That only comes from the heart of a servant.

Luke 22:27 says

²⁷ For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

Joshua made sure he served the right One.

Joshua 24:15

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” 

Jesus had no trouble telling the devil Who to serve:

Matthew 4:10

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Growing up,  I am so blessed to have had faithful women around me.  My Mama, Mamaw, Mama Boyce, & mother in law all served a great God.   They laid the foundation for our family.  They are the reasons I do a lot of the things I do today.  They taught me how to treat others.  They taught me how to handle difficulties in life.  By their examples, they taught me how to be a good wife & mother.  Because they were the BEST.  All of the before mentioned have passed on.  If your mother, grandmother or someone who was like a mother or grandmother to you is still with you, be sure to let them know you love them.  Not just on Mother’s Day, but as often as you can.  I know they will be so glad you did.  AND let us not forget those who are “motherless” on Mother’s Day.  That can prove to be a tough day.  A kind word to those of us can be deeply appreciated as well.

I hope you have a blessed day today.  I am so thankful you dropped by.  What will you be doing this Mother’s Day weekend?  We will have kids & grandkids over.  When they are around, the interesting level at my house hits an all time high.  It is always a fun time!  Until then, I will be going, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: pinterest