My Mother’s Great Expectations

My Mother’s Great Expectations

(As Seen Through My Eyes)

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things in life I can not change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

These were the words my mother gave me when I was about fourteen years of age.

A firm believer in God.

She always had great expectations of ALL her children.

She often times worked two jobs to give us HER best. While she did so, we were expected to look after each other, not to go outside and ALWAYS do as she said when she was not home.

We were expected to have, not get, but have the house cleaned when she got home from working at night OR when she woke in the early, early mornings.

Yes mother always had great expectations of us. She expected us to also get a job, work hard and be independent.

I so fondly remember from my youth, her telling us so often to “learn to take care of ourselves, to seek the Lord, because He may call her “home” tomorrow.

I often wondered if that was my motivation to “grow up faster”. What if, this happened tomorrow?

However, as I grew older and had children of my own, I realized it was her way of saying, “Depend on God. Ask Him to order your steps. Lean not on your own understanding.”

Always give to the Lord first. Save your money. That’s what I KNEW she expected me to do whenever I got paid. Always remember, the Lord’s people were never left without, nor His seed begging for bread (Paraphrase Psalms 37:25).

You see, she did not have to SAY she expected it, it was the WAY she said it, as I see it.

I recall what seems like many years ago, mother always seem to be wearing a white nurse’s uniform. But she always loved to “dress” well. She loved beautiful clothes. “Look your best when you enter the Lord’s house.” Or when you leave her house. That meant “be clean”.

We were expected to not look down on anyone. To be kind, because you never know who you may need.

Yes, she had great expectations of us for as long as I can remember.

Like so many of those great expectations she laid out before us, I now so clearly understand. You see, at times I thought those expectations were a lot of fluff.

It was HER way of getting us to do what SHE wanted.

However, as she went home to the Lord, I remembered her greatest expectation. Not only was this an expectation for us, I know she expected the same for herself.

Like so many of her expectations, she practiced what she preached. Hard worker, love her children, save money, etc.

But she preached heaven. She preached of going to heaven and how SHE EXPECTED to go there. That’s what the Bible said she would do if she kept God’s commandments.

Now, my mother’s greatest expectation is my own. Because she expects to see us again. On the OTHER side.

She expected us not to weep tears of sorrow, but to rejoice.

I can tell you so many more expectations she had for us, but as I leave you today, I want to give to you my mother’s greatest expectation.

Seek the Lord with all your heart. Keep his commandments. Rejoice in this day that the Lord has made and EXPECT to walk on the streets of gold to our Father’s mansion, together again, one day…

In Loving Memory of My Mother: Josephine Girard