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

Lamentations 3:22-23

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, I’m reminded of how important it is to begin each day hearing from the Lord. Just as Mom’s birthday call reminded me that I was loved, spending time with God reminds us that His love and mercy are waiting for us every morning. My mother gave me the gift of life and spent her years reminding me how much I was loved. But even before she held me in her arms, my Heavenly Father knew me and loved me. She was there on my first day of life, but He knew me long before I took my first breath. So if a special call from an earthly parent can set the tone for a good day, how much more can spending time with our Heavenly Father prepare us for whatever the day may bring?

The writer of Lamentations wasn’t celebrating a life free from hardship. He was finding hope in the middle of suffering. God’s mercies were new every morning, even when yesterday had been filled with sorrow. His faithfulness doesn’t depend on our circumstances, and His love doesn’t disappear when life gets difficult.

Most of us have hangups and frustrations that cross our paths during an average day. Sometimes the problems we face are far greater than everyday annoyances. If you don’t already start the day with the Lord, try doing that moving forward. The problems of life are so much easier to face when we remember that the One who made us is there to help us through them.

Mom’s birthday calls ended in 2007, and I still miss them. But God’s love doesn’t depend on a ringing telephone or a particular hour of the day. His mercies are new every morning, and He’s always there when we turn to Him. That’s a pretty wonderful way to start the day.

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Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.