Get a Grip

My mom used to cry at everything. I used to think, "Geez mom, get a grip!"

What I didn't realize is that she was one of the few that really did have a grip. A grip that showed how proud she was of her kiddos and grandkids. A grip on the things that were important. A grip that took her kids to Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. A grip that had one true love, my daddy. A grip that took care of children in her preschool so that moms could go to work. A grip that taught her kids how to do laundry and to cook... A grip that would fight someone if they disrespected those she loved. And yes, a grip that showed she was tenderhearted by shedding unashamed tears of joy and sorrow.

I was the one that needed to get a grip. I would one day become the mom and provider that would, in turn, cry at the drop of a hat. I am thankful for examples of love and forgiveness that come from learning having a grip on life. Mom was kind to others and forgiving to those that most times didn't deserve forgiveness. But we all know that forgiveness is something we offer, not because it is deserved, but it is the right thing to do.

Ephesians 4:32 NIV "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you"