TheDiscipleMD

My Mother would have been ninety-seven this year. It has now been over 20 years since she passed.  Recently, a scene from a sitcom brought back a fond memory for her.   One of the characters, speaking of a new girlfriend that had come into his life, told his friend:

“She sees things in me that no one else has ever seen!” He paused for a moment, and then with great emphasis continued,  “Things that aren’t there!”

That exchange reminded me of an experience I had with my own mother years ago when I was a young man. In a public forum, she made a flattering statement about me, her son, that caught me off guard.  And as I sat there listening to her, I couldn’t help but think the same thing that this sitcom character had told his friend regarding his new girlfriend. My mother saw things in me that I didn’t think were there.

Yet, the power of her faith in me propelled me closer to becoming what she thought I already was. What a testament to the power of love!  We all respond much better to this type of encouragement than to being belittled or criticized.

My mother’s comments about me that day have stayed with me my entire life.  Her words of praise have served as a source of comfort and inspiration throughout my life.  I have always wanted to live up to them. Perhaps as parents, we should remember how valuable a compliment is to our children. Perhaps in so doing, our words can serve as a powerful force in the lives of our children long after we have left mortality.

On occasion, I recall my now deceased mother’s words. Often I weep while so doing. I weep because I feel the love she so offered me, and I weep to become who she thinks I am. Mostly, I weep because this is a boy who misses her embrace and the sound of her voice encouraging me to become all that she thinks I am.  I have found that the power of a mother’s encouraging words is eternal!