To all the moms who love without limits

It’s hard to believe that Mother’s Day is just around the corner … even in my little corner of the world, in Nicaragua. I’ve had a lot of opportunities to be a mom this year. Most of all, I love being Michael, Hannah and Zoie’s mom for the past 19 years. I can’t imagine being on this mission adventure without my kids. They have conquered the summit of missions living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, serving a trash dump and leper community, lived at an orphanage in the rural mountains of Haiti, and now, ministering to Project Hope teams and the community in Managua, Nicaragua. They are superkids!

What you might not know, last Mother’s Day was the starting point of my life changing in a very radical way. I woke up early, hoping like crazy that my kids had planned a full day of spoiling me. Instead, I rolled over to see a gleam I’ve never seen before in my hubby’s eyes. He said only one statement (not, happy Mother’s Day) with passion and desire, “I want to go NOW!” I had no idea if he meant driving to Krispy Kreme or Starbucks to get a coffee. I looked at him with sleepy eyes and wondered where he wanted to go now. At that moments in time, hubs rocked my world. “Let’s start our mission adventure now … no more waiting. Let’s go to Ethiopia June 1st!” The rest is history, we had no idea that God would expand our territory and allow us to serve all around the world with Simply Love. It’s been bonding, earth shaking, joy-filled, challenging, fulfilling, jaw dropping crazy, humbling, blessings indeed, and best of all this journey has strengthened me personally as a wife and mom. This year has been the abundant life God promised following in obedience the path He set for our family. We have met so many people that ultimately stepped up to the role as teachers and mentors, encouraging and supporting us along our journey.

I have had the great honor of being a mommy to the motherless. God has provided so many opportunities for me to visit orphans in every country we have lived, my passion and my heartbeat. “A single death can transform your life, especially if the death is that of your mother or father. And it doesn’t matter whether that parent was beloved or resented, whether the relationship was close or distant, warm or cold, harmonious or hotly conflictual. It doesn’t even matter how old you are, or how old your parent was at the time of death. For most people, the death of a parent, particularly when the parent is of the same sex, is life altering.” (Le Anne Schreiber) Children that do not have a mother, experience deep loss in their souls, and when we (as women) can take the time to hold, and touch, and comfort, lavishly love and serve, it becomes a powerful healing place for orphans.

I never want to take a single second of being a mom for granted. I’ve made a million mistakes and my kids have forgiven me with grace and love. They laugh at my stupid jokes, they remind me to color my grey hair, they cuddle me, they spoil me, they protect me, and cheer me on, they tease me (endlessly) and tell me everyday they love me. Years ago, my son started calling me moomy, his just-for-me name. This much I know, it doesn’t matter what we are called or what makes us moms … biological, adoption, caring for orphans, teachers, mentors, we have the highest honor of being lovers of children.

Happy Mother’s Day, Moms!

I just want to say thank you to my mom, Norma Smalley for loving me the past 46 years. You have shown me what it takes to love without limits and always encouraged me to grow, and be the person God created me to be. You are loved.