oh mother dear

Oh Mother Dear,  
 
Mom, I have tried to write this letter to you so many times. But nothing felt adequate. There are many things  I realize I should have said to you before today. Yet today, I am grateful for a day dedicated to you. To honor you, celebrate you, and tell the world just how great you are! What an opportunity it is to share with you my hopes, my prayers, my questions, and my dreams for you.
 
Mom, I wonder if you knew. If you knew that through the endless basketball games and practices, volleyball tournaments, and girl scout cookie booth sales. Through PTA meetings, jog-a-thons, and my consistent pestering for a new puppy, did you know who I would become? Through your sacrifice, commitment, and compassion your little girl has grown up. The little girl who hated dresses and and went to church only for maple donuts has become a pastor. Your little girl who asked more questions than there are stars in the sky would complete her Masters degree? Did you know that your prayers for me would be answered beyond all you could ever imagine? Did you know that although this life looks nothing like what either of us pictured, it is without a doubt the plan that God has divinely created!  
 
When I think of the many nights you lost sleep because you allowed doubt and lies to creep into your head my heart breaks. When I think of the times you allowed yourself to believe that you weren’t enough I’m furious that I didn’t know to tell you otherwise. Your little girl grew up, and that never crossed her mind. She never once thought you weren’t enough, your little girl never once thought that you were messing everything up. To that little girl you were her hero and you still are. You are enough, you are more than enough.
 
When I think of the nights you would creep into my room, just to watch me sleep brings tears to my eyes. When I think of the unlimited sacrifices you made I fall to my knees in gratitude and praise God for who you are. When I look back at my childhood, I see a mom picking me up for weekly lunch trips to see how my day was. I see that same mom doubling as a teacher in my classroom. I see that same mom becoming my biggest cheerleader at every single game. When I look at my childhood, that same mom is my best friend who I would spend Friday nights with at home on the couch. When I look back, I see a mom hanging up posters all throughout the high-school for who knows which event this time, but that little girl…she knows her mom will help her hang up signs up again the very next week. When I look back, I see a gracious taxi driving mom taking me to and from any and everything so that I could pursue my wildest dreams. That same mom, she became a chef and always found value in having dinner at the table. When I look back, I see a mom who has sacrificed more than I could ever begin to comprehend to provide the best life for her little girl.
 
Mom, your little girl has grown up. Your little girl has learned from you. You were the one who taught her the Lord’s prayer, and she will never forget it. Your little girl has grown up so in love with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Your little girl has grown in her knowledge, understanding and relationship with God that she can not fathom the reality that over 2.9 billion people have never heard the name of Jesus. You have raised your little girl to believe in herself, to have courage, to be brave, to be bold, and to love with all that she has. The little girl that you have raised will follow in the footsteps of her mother sharing kindness and love anywhere that she goes.
 
Momma, I am grateful beyond all measure to be your little girl. Thank you for the sacrifice you made. Thank you for the values you’ve instilled. Thank you for letting me chase my dreams. Thank you for letting me pursue the call God has on my life without abandon. Thank you for being the first to send me off. Thank you for always believing in me and encouraging me when I need it most.
 
My hope is that you know I will always need you. That this world will always need you. My hope is that you know that this next season of your life is marked with a specific purpose that only you can fulfill. My hope is that you may trust God in where He is calling you next. Into the unknown, to the new, to the challenge. May you believe that God has called you. May you believe that God does not call the qualified, but that He qualifies the called. Momma you are called, you are qualified, and you have an amazing ministry ahead of you! You have been given a passion deep within you, in your spirit, in your soul. The world needs you.

It is my prayer that you will not shy away from this calling. It is my prayer that you will take it before the Lord, that you will wait, that you will be still, and that you will know when to step forward in this ministry. It is my prayer that you will not allow your past to dictate your future. It is my prayer that you will spend time in prayer and discern exactly what your next steps will be. It is my prayer for you, my dream that you will see the undeniable truth of Ephesians 3:20 play out more and more within your own life. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” – Eph. 3:20.
 
The power of God is nothing we could ever begin to understand. We will never be able to fully understand all that He is, for our God can never be put in a box. I find so much joy and excitement in knowing that we believe in a God, we follow a God that will always surprise us. His character will never change, but it is His ability to work all things together for our good that continually blows my mind. Momma, my prayer for you is that you believe this without doubt. That you believe that this God of Miracles is working one together for you as we speak. May you continue to bring yourself before our God and wait for him to speak to you.
 
I love you and pray that this weekend has been, or will be the exact space you needed to find clarity. I pray that this weekend has taken you into a deeper level of intimacy with our Lord and Savior. I pray that this weekend is one filled with new relationships with women who will continually challenge you, encourage you and point you closer towards our God. I pray that above everything else, you will never forget that you are a daughter of the Most High, of the King of Kings. I pray, that you will you never forget that you are enough!
 
Love you,
Katrina Ann