A Mama that Prays

Tuesday, August 25, 2009 was my mama's 81st birthday. It has become a joke between us that I tell her "I sure am glad you were born or I wouldn't be here." She always says she's glad she was born so she could be a mama to my sisters and me. And on my birthday I tell her "I sure am glad you decided to have me and didn't turn back when you found out it was me!" Mama always replies that she is sure glad she had me, too. Of course I don't do anything the easy way; Mama spent 4 days in the hospital waiting for my slow tail to get in gear and get going. Being the tail-end of the cow comes very naturally for me; unfortunately, that not only speaks to me taking my time but also to the truth that I have been known to show my bee-hind at times. Must have been all those folks literally waiting on me because I've loved attention ever since!

My mama prayed for me in the womb. She prayed over my childhood illnesses and offered praise for my health. Mama prayed for my education and grades, fair weather friends who were fated to disappoint me, and boys not worthy of my heart. She asked God to prepare Christian spouses for my sisters and me. Mama prayed that she and Daddy were raising us to know Jesus; that my sisters and me would grow up to always be close. She and Daddy said, repeatedly, "Stick together, stick together, stick together. When the rest of the world falls away, the Lord and your family will be left." They were absolutely right!

Mama has always been bold in her faith, too. With humble beginnings at age 12, she would ask neighbors for rides to church; her own parents rarely attended and seldom drove her. She married into a family of strong Christians and her faith continued to blossom. Mama moved to strange cities with her Navy husband, having to raise babies while far from her own mother. Mama lost four babies but still wanted to try for a big family and trusted God to give it to her; He did. Mama has that "Southern thang" going for her that allows her to easily strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere, about seemingly anything. (A topic for another blog!) Mama has witnessed to store clerks, waitresses, pharmacists, doctors, janitors - you name it, she's asked them the most important question one could ask, simply, "do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?" I'm ashamed to admit it used to embarrass me. Then it shamed me to realize I felt that way. Finally I grew to admire her.

In my twenties, I was devastated to learn that I had endometriosis and that I had almost no chance of bearing a child. I had always wanted to be a mommy; had grown up babysitting, working in VBS and the nursery and taught preschool Sunday School. My mama literally, and figuratively, put her foot down and refused to let me give up. She never, never gave up hope that I would receive the desire of my heart - a baby. I always saw her never-give-up attitude when it came to the underdogs and hopeless situations of the world. I watched her sit by my uncle's bedside for 39 days, praying and waiting for him to wake up after major heart surgery. (So serious that the procedures used made medical history). Mama pushed my aunt, she pushed her nieces - she even pushed the medical staff with her prayerful, faithful belief in a miracle. We got one when Uncle Archie woke up on day 40! I wanted to doubt that God would give me a miracle but with "Dot" pushing me, I didn't dare. I think I was more scared of her reaction to any sign of my doubt than I was of God's!!

When a test result showed markers for cervical cancer, I was at my lowest point. The first call I made was to Mama. In her typical fashion she replied, "It will be okay, sugah. God has a plan for you. I know He will give you a child." My mind was screaming, "What? Are you kiddin' me, woman? Either you took one too many pills today or you skipped one!!" But because I didn't want to be disrespectful and I value my teeth, I just cried and let her pray me through it. One month later I tested positive - for pregnancy. Nine months later as Delaney's delivery began to become a life-threatening situation for both of us, there Mama & Daddy were; by my bedside they prayed aloud for us, for the medical personnel, for my husband. We will celebrate our still-healthy baby girl's 16th birthday next month, praise God!

There were times while I was rebelling that I put my parents through hell. If you had looked up the word "hellion" in Webster's during that time, my picture would have been scowling back at you. My daddy and I were at each other constantly, like two tom cats with their tails tied together and Mama was the lion tamer (or tom cat tamer, as it were). I finally smartened up, got right with my Savior, and daddy and I were very close right up until his death; Mama and I remain close. I have asked her many times why she didn't just pinch my head off or put me in a sack and throw me in the Savannah River; off the Butt Bridge would have been appropriate had it been deep enough! She always gives the same two-part answer: "I stood upon the Word in Proverbs 22:8 - 'Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.'; and, a mother never gives up on her child." Please help me to be that kind of mama to Delaney, the baby my mama knew was coming; she knew that she knew that she knew. Thank you, Lord, for never giving up on me and for choosing a praying Mama for me!

Happy Birthday, Mama! I sure am glad you were born.

Love, Hope

Love to all y'all!