MTC #228 - A Mother's Heart

Today the whole choir family (Orchestra, Choir, & Bells) was grateful to help make some uplifting music that celebrated mothers everywhere. If I received the challenge to put all of the song titles we sang today into one tribute to mothers like mine, my composition would look like this:

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On this day of joy and gladness, we celebrate mothers and those who will one day be a mother. We recognize their nurturing spirit and how they have helped shape the lives of children who grow up to be responsible, kind, and loving adults. We remember back to that time when we were little and would often say before going to bed "Mother, tell me [a] story!" Mom would take a book off the shelf or would rely on her imagination to tell us adventure after adventure. She would also reach for another book--the scriptures--and teach us about the gospel of Jesus Christ and how important it was that we understood important truths to guide our lives by. Indeed, as we looked at our mothers, we came to see that our mother's eyes reflected the love of heaven along with the love of our heavenly parents. It reflected a deep hope that we would come to know, as she knew, how much we were loved and how many people both here and beyond the veil, were praying for us and our happiness. Our mothers helped us realize that the more we were found standing on the promises of Christ, the more ability and desire we'd have to do good. In fact, we'd make doing good the center of our lives by consciously praying for opportunities and asking throughout each day, "Have I done any good in the world today?"
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How grateful I am for my mom who not only fit this above description, but continues to shape my life today.

I also want to take this opportunity to say how thankful I am for my sister Mary who, because of mental and physical challenges, never got to be an official mother during this earth life. She wrote once, to a friend: 

"...Because my health is so bad, the idea of having kids is unrealistic for me and one that I can even imagine. [But] a lot of soul searching has led me to know one thing about me--that hasn't and will never change--I definitely have a mother's heart.  I hope that doesn't sound weird but I think you know what I mean.  I've always loved motherly, nurturing type things and even though I don't have kids of my own right now, I can say that in my heart, I am a mother and I can't WAIT till Sam and I actually get to be parents."

Now that's she with Sam in heaven, I hope they get that opportunity to have children someday soon. And for all those women out there who can't have children for whatever reason, but who still have a "mother's heart", this celebratory day is to recognize and honor you, too. 

Until next time, God be with you.