10 Life Lessons from my Mom

First of all, a very happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I have to say that now that I'm a mom this is definitely one of my favourite days of the year. No diaper changing for me today! Woohoo!

Although it makes me happy to be celebrated today, it also makes me sad that I can't share the day with my own mother. She was such a great mom, and  there is nothing I would rather do today than give her a big hug and a kiss and tell her how much I love her. So all of you reading who still have your mother around, make sure you appreciate the time you have with her!

In honour of Mother's Day, I am writing this blog about the top ten lessons my mom passed on to me during her life.

10) Be faithful in the little things.

My mom stressed this one a lot in my life. Whether it was being somewhere at the time I said I would be there, or cleaning my room when I said I would, she made it very clear to me that it was important to keep my word, even if the matter seemed insignificant.

Luke 16:10

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

9) Be mindful of what you say.

I can honestly say that I never heard my mother say a bad word about another person. She believed that our words had power, and that we needed to be careful.

James 3:4-5

Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

8) Be a blessing

My mom said this to me every time I left the house. When I was in school, whenever I got my report card she always read the comments before she read my grades. She was more concerned with my character, and how I treated others (especially my teachers) than she was with my marks. As life goes on, I hope that my character more and more reflects the character of Jesus, just the way my mom's did.

Romans 12:9-13

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection.Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

7) God has a plan for your life.

And sometimes, it's not the plan we want Him to have. This was something my mom reminded me of over and over again. Knowing this has helped me through some of my toughest times, including her death.

Romans 8:28

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

6) God cares about the little things.

Whether it's getting green lights when you're late for an appointment, or improving your golf game, nothing is too insignificant to ask for God's help

Matthew 7:7-11

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then,who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"

5) Let God tell you who you are.

I cannot even begin to express how much this has meant in my life. When I've felt like a complete failure, or somehow less worthy of love and respect from anyone because of choices I've made or have felt scared of what people would think of me or say about me, my mother told me that it was more important what God thought of me. This has made a world of difference in my life. How else could I survive the abundance of comments I receive as the mother of three children under three?

1 John 3:1

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

4) Trust God in all things.

My mom's life was a living testament to this. If she hadn't trusted God, I wouldn't be here!

Matthew 6:31-33

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

3) God always answers the prayer, "let this situation change beginning with a change in me"

My mom prayed this one a lot, and encouraged me to pray this one a lot too! Just working up the humility to say this prayer when you feel hurt and angry is heart-changing enough!

1 Peter 5:6-7

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

2) You have the opportunity to preach the gospel to each and every person you meet.

My mom always seemed able to talk about God with some person or other that she encountered that day. Even when she was going through chemotherapy, she had many conversations with other patients and nurses. She always seemed to have the boldness and courage to speak the truth to people, and managed to do so with love.

Mark 16:15-16

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

1) Make Christ the center of your life.

My mom taught this one most by example. Her love for Jesus was so great that everything she did and everything she said revolved around Him. Everything else that she taught me flows from this one thing. It is the single most important thing anyone can do on this earth.

John 6:35-40

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”



I am so blessed to have had a mother who loved God and taught me these things from a young age. I pray that all who read this will come to know the love of God through Jesus the way my mother did, and the way that I have.

Thank you God for my mother!