This is a guest post by me TJ, Darlene’s son. Its her blog. today I felt like I should step in the gap for her and write something.
Now I must admit I did not get permission to write this or guest blog but I took the liberty since I thought the topic was appropriate for everyone.
( Plus she’s at church now too)
LOL.
I’ve been reminded now that she’s 80 of the things she did on a daily basis since I was a child that I just assumed everyone did.
I woke up in the morning as a youngster to seeing her at 4:35 in the morning with a prayer Journal praying for an hour alone writing down her prayers.
Every day throughout my school years I never thought twice about it. That’s just what mothers do I assumed.
Anybody who needed help and if she had it to give she would not only give what she had but she would try to get more from anybody to help them- even though she had in most cases much more need herself.
It didn’t make any sense to me refrigerator is empty and she’s begging everybody for food to give it to somebody else. I did have my thoughts about her sanity and just overall well-being at the time.
The suicide of my brother ,a violent violent husband who is my father ( she forgave him) and then a lot of really bad things that happened in her life after that became a part of her ,
She had it rough from the get-go as she learned that her own mother actually died because of giving birth to her, which is still today a painful thought for her.
Its difficult for her to not take blame for things that happened to other people, which is her nature to accept blame for everything because of the way she difficult times and abusive people have taken advantage of her kindness.
Im not going to social work or therapy you to death- but I have spent 25 years working with people with similar stories.
We live in a world today where everybody’s angry about something – everybody is putting others down to try and make themselves feel better about their miserable life.
But here’s the turning point. What separates people like my mom from the rest of the world.The key for me that opened up a door of freedom that I’ve never known.
Before I go there please read the next paragraph.
If you’re a mother reading this and you haven’t been the right kind of mother this is not the end.
Restoration can happen very quickly but not with any human power and this is what separated the foundation of my mother’s life and what it taught me from where I am today seeing the world.
All these years of giving and serving God the best she knew how and having a right heart is the foundation whereby this fruit of evidence of the Holy Spirit of God has been exuding from her.
Her morning praying time when I was a kid was the beginning of the foundation of my faith.
It took a long time to really come to fulfillment and to understand that the reason she is who she is today is not because she did the ritual of writing prayers down and praying- but because she truly spoke with God everyday and had her heart dedicated and committed to the Lord Jesus Christ.
You can’t talk to God without having a relationship with Christ and receiving his forgiveness first. Maybe now’s the time. What do you think?
The Bible says the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God is patience kindness, long suffering, love etc.
That’s exactly what I’ve seen out of her life.
I’ve been with her every day for years now and I’ve watched her have two heart attacks last year and almost a stroke just last month.
Spent five days in the hospital did not know who I was or where she was that entire day.
In 24 hours her full memory and almost all of her physical capabilities restored.
With mom it’s never a come home and feel sorry for me pity party. It’s “what can I cook you for dinner”. or “do we have anything to eat that I can make you?”
I’m done telling about the stories because if I really told you the whole story it would be almost unimaginable and I think you get the picture.
Whether you are a mother or father or a child, there is no possible way any human being could survive without the faith that somebody like my mother has.
It just can’t happen without commitment and dedication to the Lord.
Being in the Word and being around believers/ praising God and prayer.. there is no other way.
Have you been holding out holding back or rejecting God angry at God, calling yourself even an atheist cuz you just don’t want to believe anything about him?
Well maybe it’s time now. What do you think? You had enough yet? I promise you it don’t get any better.
Maybe it’s time to ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and forgive your sins.
Acknowledge that you need him and watch the change.
Enjoy peace. I encourage you to do that because the rewards are greater by far than the hurt that comes in this world which is so temporary.
So quickly diminishing and being set for the final and grand finale. If you’re sick and tired of being miserable and rotten why don’t you just go ahead and surrender.
The real reason I wrote this post about my mother, is for you to think about your mother or father, or relatives or friends or sister- brother. They may be going through things that you have no idea how badly is hurting and affecting them.
Let’s cut to the chase for a minute- do they deserve your forgiveness?
Do you deserve God’s forgiveness?
Right.
I also encourage you that even though this is not Mothers day, take time to I’ve remind yours if she still around that she means alot and tell her why.
There’s people right now thinking ” you don’t know what this person has done to me- you don’t know!
I could never forgive them. But let me tell you this the Bible says if we can’t forgive them we really have no right to ask God to forgive us so it can’t have your cake and eat it too if you know what I mean. And I’ve tried believe me it didn’t work.
if you still didn’t catch it? If you are still not picking up what I’m putting down. scroll up until the “Let’s cut to the chase” part and read that one more time.
If your aversion to God has to do with something so bitter and unforgiveness toward somebody let me tell you something that’s going to unlock a freedom in your life. Holding onto forgiveness towards someone else does not affect them one bit.
They go on with their life. However it does hurt you.
Unforgiveness breeds bitterness and that locks you into an angry state of mind for the rest of your life until you release it.
You don’t have to go face-to-face and do that. You could get on your knees and ask God to forgive you for not forgiving them and then forgive them openly to God and release you from the prison you’ve been locked in.
I’m no warden but I just gave you a key to get out of your cell.
Now it’s up to you. Tell your mother how much she means to you and how much you love her and how much she’s been a great influence on your life.. regardless of the negative things that she may have done or the mistakes she has made.
And lastly as a personal favor to me-
Would you mind praying for my mother today?
Even a person of her faith after 80 years of solid hardship can become discouraged.
Her faith is not moved but she is human. She needs lifting up.
She will never ask anybody but I will and I am now.
So to you believers out there I’m asking you to spend some time today to lift Darlene up and restore the joy of the Lord in her.
If you have the gift of intercessory prayer, intercede until you feel a breakthrough.
To not let her focus on what happened to her and the things that people did to her and feel guilty about things that happen.
Any of you are not Believers but do become Believers after this-
I’m asking you to do the same thing because your prayer then will mean just as much as any believers prayer.
Well I think I said enough and I hope that you take these words to heart.
I felt led this morning to write this on behalf of my mother who’s been just an incredible woman to anybody who’s known her and got absolutely zero in return and never complained about it.
Do you know anybody like that?
I don’t know too many people either. It’s just more evidence of Christ in her and it just builds my faith.
But she’s human. Lately after a lifetime of beat down after beat down she is discouraged.
Just like the disciples were and people in the Bible that were very discouraged, so it goes with us humans right now.
Please pray for her today.
Even though it’s a small group here as its a new blog and she’s been out for a while.. Go ahead and share this as much as you can because this isn’t about just my mom -this is about everybody in the world today who are down.
Hurt people need encouragement and maybe by reading this God will use it some way to encourage them.
If he has used it to encourage even one of you- let me know. Comment.
PLEASE– if this meant anything to you I think it would mean something to her. Share here.
If you were touched in any way by the Lord in this or something happens in your own family you want to share -anything encouraging about this would really make her day.
On my blog called
Dont Label My Kid!
I have reposted many articles for somebody and not remembering that people in 150 countries saw it.
Some of you have great big followings and even though this is a small blog- if you think this could help somebody by posting… do whatever you got to do.
It isn’t about just my mom or yours. Its for anybody who has not been fortunate enough yet in their life to hear this message of hope. Don’t keep it to yourself.
My mom was a published author many times over in her early young career and an editor for a major publishing company.
If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I would have ever read one book or even written on a bathroom wall. ( I mean like my friends did… I didn’t do that)
I’m glad I have the opportunity to share my writing with you-a gift that she gave me.
This time I get a chance to use it for her benefit. A blessing.
I hope to hear back soon from many of you with good reports
Thank you for praying for my mom and I’ll be praying for you and your family as well.
Amen…Tj
Here's Your Hope! 