A Mother's Love

How do you perceive the love you were given from your Mother?

This beautiful sunset, 2/19/26, is a glorious gift for all who choose to see the good. ”God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.”-Genesis 1:4

Whether you are a Mother or not, each and every one of us has a Mother. A Mother's love is like no other love, unless you consider God's love. Our Creator, God, made us in His image, so that we could "rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground." -Genesis 1:26 God reflected on His sixth day of creating man and woman, and confirmed that "it was very good." -Genesis 1:31 God loved His creation so much that He reflected on that day with a "very good"... feeling of emotion and love. The majority of Mother's feel an all encompassing "very good" feeling of emotion and love toward their children. And yet, what a child perceives about their Mother's love can be perceived completely differently.

There are an abundant an innumerable amount of Mother's on this earth today. That is hard to wrap your head around. The number of Mother's who are nurturing, caring for, and sacrificing for their children around the world is abundant. However, your Mother is the one who helped you strive and thrive the best she could, and now you are here, absorbing and taking in all that this day brings your way. Your Mother was responsible for leading you, and watching over you, and keeping you safe, while meeting your needs.

Until recently, after having endured all the trials and tribulations as a Mother of three, have I truly been able to relate to my own Mother. Through experience, I have been able to empathize with my Mom, who withstood similar trials throughout her life. I have gained an understanding of her tribulations of trying to balance: Mothering, working, cleaning, carpooling, shopping, cooking, and making a space for recognition of self in a single day. How does a Mother exude love to her children with all she has on her plate?

My Mother is nearing the end of her time here on earth. Her struggles are insurmountable. She no longer has the strength to stand just to make it to release waste from her body. She is existing every single day, and waiting to be reunited with God the Father and Jesus. Mostly, I have been beyond blessed that she is still here. It has been a true gift to me. My Mom and I endured many challenges in our relationship throughout our lifetime. However, I recall that she voiced on repeat, "I Love You." Unfortunately, the love she expressed to me was mostly not felt. Just last week, I was visiting with her, a woman who was never shy of conversation or something to say, now has very little she can formulate and share. However, I was reading to her from a book given to me by a friend, Psalm 23. She was able to relate to what I was reading to her, and she was happy. I believe whole-heartedly that it is because it is God's words. And I feel very strongly that if someone has known God's words that they will always be able to relate and hear His words. As my Mom was perched on the edge of her bed, she looked at me and said, "I love you Jill Benda Countie." As I was looking into her eyes, I realized that I truly felt the emotions behind her words. And I felt them deep in my heart and inner-being. I must say that the feeling was "very good."

Interpreting our Mother's love is probably the closest thing to interpreting the love that God has toward every one of His children. We are all children of God. Throughout our entire lifetime, we experience so many things that we wonder how a loving God could allow us to endure. And the same could be said about our own Mother's, "how could she...?".

Mothers, just like God, are forming us and teaching us and guiding us throughout our formative years. And then there comes a time when a Mother must let go of their child, and allow them to make his or her own decisions. This process is probably very similar to how God must parent each one of us. He must let us go when we walk away from Him. However, "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28. God's love never fades, as does a loving Mother towards her children. Love never fades.

There are so many ways to interpret love and ways to try to discount love. Life is full of challenges that we face every single day. Most of these challenges involve relationship with others. Finding a way to reach common ground on an issue and come to resolution is a skill that has to be instated every day of our lives. Keeping love at the forefront of our decisions day in and day out, is a high call for each of us. It makes sense that God would make it a command to "love one another, as I have loved you."

I do know that I would lay down my life for any one of my children. That is the length of my love for each and every one of them. God sent His son for all of us, out of love for us. He called for His son to die for each and every one of us on this earth. And Jesus did just that. He died for us, and then was resurrected, and sits with God on His right hand in heaven. A Mother's love can be strong, but God's love is never ending. We will be reunited with His love after this life, which cannot be said for all Mothers.

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." -Romans 8: 37-39