Capture Me:: "Give Your Momma Some Sugar"

First of all, it is important to note that I am AT HOME! (insert sigh of relief here) ...coming at you live from the black hole. More in that regard later.

Right now it's all about Trudy. Because if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. That was a common phrase used around the house growing up and I haven't met anyone who doesn't sympathize. I hadn't planned on starting off a tribute to my mother with a story of a non-typical Trudy moment, but I think doing so will prove the validity of that phrase. It's also so you know and I know that my mother is not perfect. But she is mine and I believe with all of my heart that God knew what He was doing when He made it that way. I know Mom believes that, too, which is why when we remember her "off" moments, we can do so with laughter.

After all, she didn't really want to resign from being our mother, she just asked Emily where she might go to do so once, in order to express her deep frustration one day. Okay, she probably wanted to, but she never would. The fact that she proceeded to leave the house and drive away was simply for effect. We little orphans weren't alone for long-- Emily called Dad and said Mom left. Bitty me really thought she was gone, but Emily quickly called her bluff-- "I think she's gone to the river." Sure enough, as Mom recalls, she had gone to have what we like to refer to as a "come to Jesus meeting."

A different time, before I was born, Mom signed up to teach a "Parenting by Grace" seminar at church. A short time after that, the Smith family of four went on a walk. Luke and Emily trailed behind as Mom and Dad talked. My parents kept getting interrupted by Emily's whining because Luke was doing something annoying. They told him to stop and went on talking. Luke did it again. Emily screamed. Parents said stop. Luke did it again. Don't think for a minute Trudy was going to let this become a cycle. She grabbed Luke by the collar and said, I quote, "if you don't stop what you're doing right this second you are going to find yourself face down in this concrete!" And they went on walking. Luke didn't do it again. My parents did, however, go on to teach the Parenting by Grace seminar. Because God has a sense of humor that often borders on ironic, I think. And because nothing says grace like a face in the concrete.

Have I bashed my Mom enough on this, her day? I hope so, because that's really all the "bad" stories I have off the top of my head. And I'm not complaining. The truth is that I feel so blessed to claim her as mine. Whether or not it's as your mother (there's a good chance it's not), to have Trudy Smith in your life is to come away blessed. Not just in a "oh my gosh I'm just so blessed because the sun is shining and I have some chocolate and I just found five dollars" way. In a "she really cares about me and others and has prayed to somehow be a blessing to me today" way. Yeah, chances are, if you know my Mom, you've felt that before. And if you do have the pleasure of having her as a mother (again, not many of you), you know what it's like to come across that on a daily basis (well, seeing as how I'm now living 1,000 miles away, it is a more somewhat daily basis). Of course, if you had her as a mother, you know more about the when momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy side, but with that you're exposed to the extra dose of grace and mercy given to Trudy Smith.

By the way, when I refer to my Mom as "Trudy" it is with utmost respect.... If it weren't, I'd be face down in the concrete right now. ;)

I'm serious when I say Mom has taught (that's probably not good grammar) me a good deal of what I know about mercy. From being a Care Team member and helping men die of AIDS to years of work with Immanuel Baptist Youth to leading women in loving God and growing their families to a good percentage of every day conversations, she is just merciful. Her enthusiasm is contagious, you see, because not only is she merciful, she has been shown Mercy. She knows Him and she loves Him. She seeks His blessing, that she might bless someone else. She sits in her little red chair and prays. By name she intercedes for the needs, the hurts, the worry, the cause of others. By verse she asks God to lead, because she believes in the power of scripture. So she claims it over and over, for herself and for others.

And, lucky for me, for her children. She can get as angry or frustrated or hot or cold as she wants to be, but ultimately, when she fails to exemplify grace, I can rest assured that she wants only good things for me. She wants only God's will for me. If her words ever fail to convey that to me, His Word never does. So she points me to it and to Him, instead of asking that I be or do everything she desires.

She's not asking me to be more assertive or naturally organized. She's telling me that I am gifted to be more passive and chillax. She also makes sure that I realize the potential dangers of those attributes-- that I do need to make an effort to be attentive and aware of where things go. And since she is the antithesis of me when it comes to assertion and organization, I am constantly reminded to consider other people's personalities before I get offended or work up an attitude or even speak up. She is my best example of how to do this because when raising me, Trudy considered my personality, not the personality she wanted me to have. She and dad worked tirelessly to show me who I am and how I was made-- to help me fine tune that personality. I'm not at "fine-tuned" status yet, but they have enstilled in me the desire to keep trying. She never fooled me into believing I am perfect, but she also never made me feel like a lost cause-- absolutes I'm glad I was never confronted with. She encourages my passions with a healthy amount of realism. When I present her with some sort of conflict in my life, she is the first to make sure I'm considering all sides. She may be my antithesis, but that makes her a fabulous complement.