Growing up in a small farming town, and belonging to a little close-knit church, meant I had plenty of folks looking out for my best interests. This was especially true on my mother’s side, as I not only had my own mom, but several other ladies who filled that role.
One such angelic soul was my mom’s friend, Freida. As a child, Freida was stricken with polio and lost most of the use of her legs. Yet, despite her disability, she had the sweetest Christian spirit. Lady friends from our church lined up outside her home to see her, and others spoke daily with her on the phone.
Even into my young adulthood, my mom would sometimes ask me to take books over to Freida, remembering how hard it was for her to get out, but she loved to read. Whenever I delivered those books, I always lingered for the conversation, because Freida made people feel like they were the most important person in the world!
Freida would often reminisce about the resourcefulness and homespun wisdom of her own mother, who saved almost everything and put it to good use. Her mom would say things like, “Did you know potato peelings are a key ingredient of gourmet pig slop?” Their family matriarch had a favorite saying:
“Use it up. Wear it out. Make do, or do without.”
Freida and her family truly believed that if God could care for and comfort them in the big things, He would handle the small ones too. But that meant doing all they could to use what they had–from the Lord–resourcefully.
This Mother’s Day, I’m pouring over memories of my own mom, who passed away in 2011. Like Freida, she was a behind the scenes worker, whose resourcefulness and wisdom blessed many. All three of these wonderful mothers taught me that we can always trust in and rely on God, Who not only cares about our needs, but He also will always take care of us all!
And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 (NIV)
Thank you for reading. 🙏❤️ prayers and love.
This piece was first published in the Sunshine Weekly Newsletter, a publication which is shared in nursing homes and assisted living centers. A special thank you to Peter Caligiuri, aka “Pastor Pete,” for inviting me to contribute a monthly column! Peter blogs at praise2worship.net
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