This is the first of 25 special reflections based on lessons I learned from my mother. These will run from my birthday on October 27 until her birthday on November 20.
Read
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23
Reflect
My mother always made my birthday special. As far back as I can remember, Mom did her best to put a special touch on this day. But the thing she did that was most special of all didn’t happen when I was a child. It happened every year when I was grown and moved away from home.
At 8 a.m. every October 27, I got a phone call from Mom wishing me Happy Birthday. I was born in Odessa, Texas, at 8 a.m., and so she decided it would be fun to call me at that time each year on my special day. I got so used to that call that when the phone rang, I’d look at the time and if it was 8 o’clock, I knew it was her. That call set the tone for my birthday every year, and it was one of the hardest parts about living without her after she passed in 2007.
When I think about it now, this is exactly why it’s such a good idea to start every day with a “call” from the Lord. My Mom was just an earthly vessel who brought me into this world, but the Lord is our spiritual Father. She was there on my first day of life, but He knew each of us long before we took a breath of air. So if a special call from an earthly parent can set the tone for a good day, how much more will a call from our Heavenly Father set us up for an even better day.
Most of us have hangups and frustrations that cross our paths during an average day. If you don’t already start the day with the Lord, try doing that moving forward. The problems of everyday life are so much easier to deal with when we know that the One who made us is there to help us navigate our way through the stormy waters.
Reflection copyright © 2024 Doug DeBolt.
