Mom,
There is so much you have done for which I should be saying thank you. You cheered me on. You cried with me over hurt feelings. You listened. You said yes. You said no. You sat with me when I was sick. You taught me the value of mental health days. You supported me when I chose to speak against the “powers that be”. You grounded me. You made me read before I could watch tv. You made me RSVP and write thank you notes. You prayed for me and with me. I could go on and on, but I really want to focus on one thing for now.
4 years ago on this very blog, I alluded to
a story of a time I felt forgotten. I also made sure to remind you then and again now, that that moment was years ago and I am not scarred for life from it. And I will tell you why. It is because you didn’t forget about me. You did come for me. And you felt so bad about me having to wait and wonder. So, yes, I felt forgotten for a bit but I was not forgotten. I was not abandoned.
Let me share with you a couple of other memories. First there was the time I asked to go down the street to play with Shannon and Shelby. I was probably about 8 years old. I walked down there but no one was home, so I turned around and headed home. I was in our yard when the grandson or nephew or some boy that was staying across the street came over and asked if I wanted to play. I did. So, I went to Wendy’s house to play. I was shocked when I got home and found myself in trouble. You gave me a spanking for not being where I said I was going. In my 8 year old mind, it wasn’t a big deal. I was just across the street. But you were so upset. And then I was upset because no 8 year old wants to be spanked.
And then junior high... We were at a speech competition at St Agnes. Seth and I, along with 4 others, decided to walk across the street to Pizza Hut. We did tell the adults (really), but they apparently didn’t listen because you came to pick us up and we weren’t at the school. Again, trouble. And again, now as a 12 year old, I thought you were being ridiculous. I know that I argued and screamed about how it was unfair and stupid and I was TWELVE YEARS OLD not a baby.
But mom, as an adult, I know you were upset because you love us. You were upset because you can’t imagine anything happening to your babies. All the “call me when you get there’s” and all the “be home at some absurd hour to the teenage mind’s” and all the “no hiding in the clothes rack’s” were about the love of a mother and father.
I was blessed to have parents, to have a mom who was terrified when she couldn’t find me. The Lord set Seth and I in a family that loved…loves us. A mother that would do anything to keep us safe. A mother who saw her children growing in the Lord and as a result pursued Him even harder. A mother who I see still growing leaps and bounds in Truth.
But there are children all over the world who are not loved. There are girls in India who are abandoned…sold by their families. There are daughters that are beaten. There are motherless children going to sleep in the streets. Their parents aren’t worried if they will come home safely. Moms aren’t checking in to make sure their little girls got to their friend’s house.
Those little girls in India don’t have what I have in you. But, this Mother’s Day I am giving to
As Our Own in your honor so that children in India might know what it is to have a family that loves them. As Our Own is rescuing these girls from abuse, abandonedment, and a life of enslavement. These girls, according to the circumstaces they were born into, should have been wandering the streets. These girls should have been sold at six years old in order to bring in more revenue. But instead, they are singing and dancing. They are in school. They are growing up with sisters. They are loved. And perhapes as a result, the mothers that work in the red light district might see their daughters fall in love with Jesus and they themselves begin to grow leaps in bounds in Truth.
Thank you for not leaving me in the carpool line, alone and feeling forgotten. Thank you for loving me.
Love,
Erin
Want to say thank you to your mom in a special way this year? Here's how:
STEP 1:: Give to our Thanks, Mom! campaign to honor your mom on Mother’s Day, May 8.
STEP 2:: In the donation comments box, tell us what you appreciate most about your mom.
STEP 3:: Download a certificate for your mom that explains the gift you’ve made in her name.
About As Our Own
The extreme poverty in India places girls at great risk for exploitation, enslavement, and neglect. Girls are regularly abused and degraded, forced into lives of bonded labor, either in organized begging or the sex trade.
These girls will face a dark, horrific future—unless someone intervenes.
God has opened the door for As Our Own to rescue girls before they are exploited, giving us the privilege to care for each one as our own—for life. We are building strong communities through our Lighthouse church network and training strong leaders and pastors at our Hope College, all to break these cycles for girls in future generations.
Your gifts make a lasting difference for these girls. Thank you!
