i've been thinking a lot about my mom this week. with mother's day, the 10th year of her passing, & jonah turning 13 all happening in the past couple of days, thinking about family is pretty much inevitable. through reflection & reminiscing, i have been thinking about a couple of areas that i am like my mom or dad. as i ponder these things, i am reminded that some are genetic, but so many are learned or picked up along the way. here are just a few ways that i am like my parents...
1. i have my mom's hands. rarely a day goes by (since she's passed) that i don't notice "mom's hands" at the end of my arms.
2. i have the dumb Marco ear...thanks to dad's recessive genes.
3. i have my mom's body type & i know her struggle to keep this body in shape.
4. i am not a people person, like my mom was. most would think that my dad, being a pastor & all, would be the people person...but not so much. now, don't get me wrong - my dad LOVES people. he was & is called to be a shepherd & cares deeply for his flock. he feels comfortable & empowered to preach & teach the word to the multitudes or one on one...however, if given the choice of being in a crowded area - like a party or event - or being with a small group of close friends/family, he will choose the latter. i am like my dad in this way. my mom would choose the former & would love every minute of it. she never met a stranger & she always made people feel at home around her. anyone who met her, loved her. she was a people person...i am not.
5. my mom showed me how to be a good wife - a biblical, godly wife. she made submission look appealing. growing up i didn't quite understand it. to me it sometimes just looked like work. i saw her iron my dad's shirts & have dinner ready on his schedule. i watched her serve him everyday & i picked this up - the service/work part. but it wasn't until much later that i came to understand how she made it look desirable - how she served with a happy heart & a smile. she was so in love with GOD that she obeyed Him when He said "wives, submit therefore to your husbands". yes, she loved my dad - more than any other human on earth - but she loved her GOD more. i also realize that she picked it up somewhere...my sweet grandmother (nanny) was an amazing wife too. she served her GOD & thus served my grandad (doc) until the day he went to be with JESUS. i want to be more like them. so i am praying that out of love & obedience to my GOD, i would show submission & service to my husband in a way that is biblical & beautiful...like my mom.
this list is not exhaustive by any means, but it's a start. perhaps i will continue to add things as they come to mind. but i am so grateful to my parents for being such godly examples to me. i hope that someday, when jonah & winston reflect on how they are like their parents, they will have picked up the good things - the eternal things.
