A Mother's Day Tribute

Birthday!

When I was in 7th grade, I won our classroom spelling bee. Then I won the middle school spelling bee at St. Francis. I got a ride over to the Prairie River Middle School and up in a second floor library I won the city spelling bee for middle school kids. Later, I went with my mom to the Regional Spelling Bee - I think it was in Stevens Point, WI. And wouldn't ya know it, I won that spelling bee too.

The spelling bee in Stevens Point holds a special memory for me, primarily because I didn't think I had done anything too special. But as the story goes, I got off stage having just won and walked up to my mom and she was in tears. I hadn't understood to that point that I could make my mom proud like that. I was probably 12 years old and it just hadn't dawned on me that an accomplishment like that could make my mom so proud. I was not expecting her to be crying tears of joy and pride that day. But it made my heart glad to know I had made her so proud.

If you tell the story of my young adult life, it goes without saying that many of my words, choices, and actions probably made my mom cry painful tears. As the book of Proverbs tells it,

 A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother. (Proverbs 10:1 ESV)

 I was a foolish son. There is no doubt that I had brought a lot of sorrow to my mother in my college years and time after undergrad. I was not a lovely person, and I was not a very loving person. In fact, I was a very hard person to pursue lovingly, because I would push people away who tried to love me. I struggled with anger, depression, and many other issues. However, through all of my hardships my mom kept pursuing me. A mother's love is by nature selfless and sacrificial, because moms are always giving of themselves for their kids.

As I reflect today on all the ways my mom pursued me, loved me when I was unlovable, forgave me, prayed for me, and cared for me I can't help but think of the love of Jesus. 

The Bible says, in Romans 5:8 that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. My mother reflected Jesus' love for me because she didn't wait for me to "clean up my act," and she didn't quit loving me when it got tough - my mom loved me through my darkest times, she prayed for me in those times. In the same way, Jesus saw me and knew me as I was and was still willing to go to the cross and give his life for me, so that I may have life in him.

Go Pack Go!

And now here I sit today by the grace of God, able to pay her tribute for how she showed me Jesus' love. I have such a great life now, time and distance and joy separates me from the pain of my early adult life.

Mom, I know without a doubt that God used the love you showed me and the prayers you prayed for me

to bring me back to Himself, and I thank you and I bless the Lord for that!

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, Amy Dawn Stiver.

I love you so much,

Paul

28th Birthday - Minocqua

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