Courtesy of Sarah Shrader
As Mother’s Day approached, I was excited to see the handmade gifts that the girls would bring home from school. I will tell you what – bless all the teachers that do those – especially with the younger kids. While some years they were the only gifts I received, I think they still would have been some of my favorites.
This year, however, I received my Mother’s Day gifts a little early. And while they weren’t homemade masterpieces, they are most definitely gifts to sustain both them and me forever.
For the past 5 months or so, we have been trying out a new church – not because we disliked our church. In fact, we have always loved it there! But more so because Lee grew up in this other style of church and we wanted to learn more about it.
If you have followed me at all, then you know that I have never pushed or preached any specific religion or church. I just truly hope everyone can find a place to praise God where they feel most welcomed and at home.
For a little while, we would flip back and forth week to week between churches – our church one week and Lee’s church the next week. As the Sundays went on, the girls started asking to go to Lee’s church – almost every week. At first, this hurt my heart. I mean, I really liked Lee’s church as well, but man, it is hard when you are so used to another church to just not go there.
In fact, on Easter Sunday, to make sure all were accommodated — or mainly me, ha — we literally drove back and forth between the churches to hit three separate services. But it was on Easter Sunday that I received my first lifelong Mother’s day gift.
At the sunrise service, Maylie started getting antsy – she was feeling the voice of God speaking to her heart. And while she was baptized at our church last year, it seemed to be more of a formality. She wanted to be closer to God and let the world know that, but she hadn’t had Him tug at her heart as He was on Easter Sunday.
When she looked up at me and asked if she could go up to the altar to ask God to save her, my Mama heart exploded. Together, we walked up to the front where we knelt down and asked God to take and save this precious child of mine. Joy fell from my eyes and, as the entire congregation came up to pass out hugs, prayers and smiles, I just kept crying tears of utter thankfulness to God.
As weeks passed, Reagan started to perk up in church a little more. A few times she questioned whether she could go up. I told her that she would know — God would tell her. And yet, when the day came this past Sunday that He was really calling her, both Lee and I questioned her. While I in no way want to stand in God’s way, I wanted to make sure that she was sure.
But this girl, she knew He was calling her. We didn’t have to prepare her with words to repeat or talk her into it. If fact, we pretty much had her talk us into it. As she grabbed Lee’s hand, went up to the altar, and knelt down to pray, Maylie and I followed and placed our hands on her and joined her in prayer.
This time, I was able to contain my joy to pure smiles while my Maylie girl felt the big sister joy through her tears. Maylie wept and wept for her sister and her salvation. And guys, after witnessing many years of these two siblings fight like cats and dogs, I cannot even explain the uniqueness of that moment — the amazing bond and closeness of these girls who had both recently accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Later that night, my tears caught up with me. As a mother, watching my babies give their life to God – not only knowing Him and hearing Him, but also listening to His call and receiving Him – there was an unexplainable feeling of peace and thankfulness that cannot be matched. There is nothing that I have experienced in my life that even comes close.
As Mother’s day arrives and these girls bring me all their handmade masterpieces, and maybe even a few cheap purchased items that they picked out on their own especially for me, I can tell you one thing. While being saved is the best thing that they could ever receive themselves, it is also the greatest gift that they could ever give to me as a mom.
Happy Mother’s Day.
Sarah (Pitson) Shrader was born and raised in Lima. She is a Lima Central Catholic and Tiffin University graduate. Sarah is a full-time working mama who enjoys writing about her somewhat crazy, always adventurous life as a mother. She lives in Bath Township with her daughters and writing inspirations, Maylie and Reagan.
