Sometimes losers win.
You read that right.
While it might not be focused on so much in our society, there are times when you can lose something, even something incredibly important to you, and still come out as a winner.
This coming Sunday is Mother's Day.
As most of my readers know, this will be my first Mother's Day after losing my mom to cancer last year.
What has made this blog relevant since I started it in October is that I write from my own experiences.
As difficult as my mom's death was to me I feel like it should be laid out before you all in this post so that hopefully someone will benefit from this chapter in my life.
God really does give us beauty for our ashes.
My mom was my best friend.
Growing up she was my shoulder to cry on when life punched me in the stomach (literally and figuratively.)
She was my congratulatory hug when I had a personal triumph.
She was my ear that was always open to listen to me in the middle of the night when I felt confused or heart broken.
My mom was my spiritual guide.
She spoke into my life with insight and knowledge that only God could give her.
If she asked me once, she asked me a thousand times, "Did you pray about that?"
She was an intercessor who spent hours in prayer daily; a minister who spent most of her life loving and reaching out to people; and a teacher who spent countless evenings studying the word.
I can truly say that there was not a single instance in my life when she was not there for me when I needed her; her arms stretching toward me with her unconditional love.
For my mom, to act like a Christian meant to show Christ to others, not judge them or scare them into salvation, but love them as Jesus loves them.
One of my favorite quotes of hers is,"God called us to catch the fish, not clean them."
She truly believed that as long as we reached people for God, He would take care of cleaning up their lives.
To quote my mom's friend, the late Tammy Faye Bakker, "We as Christians should act like hospitals to people, not court rooms."
My mom went home to be with Jesus on July 9th, 2010.
I should tell you that when I started typing out this post my plan was to show how God has moved in my life mightily through coping with the loss of my mother.
And, that is very true.
He has certainly given me beauty from my charred ashes of hurt and despair.
He has certainly made me a winner through this personal loss.
However, as poignant as that message is, there is an even better example of "Winning through Losing" that I can share with you.
You see, my mom lost her life, not on July 9th, 2010, but many years before as a teenager when she laid her life down before God and accepted Jesus as her personal savior at Hunter Street Baptist Church.
At that moment, she lost everything.
And at the moment, she won eternal life!
She took on a new master in God, yielding her dreams, her hopes, and losing her very existence to the will of her Heavenly Father.
Through accepting His calling on her life she lost her career of teaching students in a classroom but she won a lifetime of teaching hundreds more about the promises of God!
She lost her plans of taking simple family vacations each summer but she won a ministry that took her to every state in the US as well as 17 countries throughout North America, Europe, and Russia.
She lost much of her free time but she won a close relationship with God that allowed her to just sit in His presence and listen.
The writings that came from those quiet times with God resulted in two books.
She was even granted permission to present a copy of her first book, "Love, Father" to Pope John Paul II.
To a society that sees success in terms of money, wealth, and fame, my mom was a loser.
To a God who sees success in loving Him with all her might, and loving her neighbors as herself, my mom was a remarkable winner!
On this Mother's day I pay tribute to Dorothy Street, my mom, and her legacy of winning through losing.
I hope that you will join me in surrendering your life to the will of God today!
Imagine the plans that He has for you.
They are so much more then you can comprehend!
Your destiny is yours alone to live and experience.
Lose your life and Win Your Destiny!
One last thing before I wrap up, If you have lost your mom, I am praying for you.
As I mentioned above I know how difficult it is to face this day.
Surrender that pain to your daddy God so that it can become your testimony, making you a winner through that painful loss.
Please remember that He will give you beauty for your ashes!
As always remember:
God Loves You!
God Created You!
God Accepts You!
Until next time,
SavedByGrace
Ps. Below is my mom's favorite song.
It gives me peace to know that she now lives every day "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."
Happy Mother's Day Mom.
I Love You!
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