Mom Instincts

I am convicted that I live my life according to the insticts that are embedded deep within. Some instincts are good, some are destructive. The spiritual life is figuring which is which.

I grew up in a nurturing, safe, and empowering home. Many of the insticts I live out come from my mother.

Instinct #1. The instinct to love. Here's the thing: to love someone is to risk everything. We run the risk of being rejected when we choose to love. Those who are willing to invest in others, pursuing them, face the reality that some will not love in return. Long story short--mom taught me to love without conditions, risking all one has for the sake of others. Mom does not exist for herself but for the sake of others. The instinct to love, to risk, is a great gift--full of terror, wonder, pain, and rejection.

Instinct #2. The instinct to work. My mother wove discipline into her children. Nothing comes easy, if it does, be suspicious. Little comes without hard work, if it does, it probably isn't worth having. Right in front of us, mom lived out discipline (going back to college when I was entering the teenage years) juggling a chaotic family, school, and deep fidelity to a local church community.


Instinct #3. The instinct to praise. To praise is to admit the incompleteness of our existence. Not just praise toward the Creator, but praise towards those around her. Constant affirmation, encouragement, and approval--no matter what adventure we invested ourselves in...and there were many.

To love like Jesus. To work for the way of God like Jesus. To praise the Father and those around you like Jesus...what better legacy can a mother leave for her family, those whose lives cross her annointed path?