Sunday Seven

Sunday, May 10, 2015


It’s Mother’s Day and I wanted to share 7 lessons I’ve learned from different mothers who shaped me and helped me to become a mother myself. 
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My mother in 1978 during her honeymoon
1 • God first, then family, then everything else - My mother knows her priorities. I grew up seeing her praying and reading her Bible first then taking care of us, then doing everything else. The consistency of her simple actions still make an impact in my life. I hope my little ones will one day look back and see that God and family are really important to us from generation to generation. 
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My Paternal Grandmother
2 • Serve the Lord with gladness - I never met my paternal Grandfather but I heard marvelous stories about him. The thing is, because he died when my dad was young, Jesus stepped in as my grandmother Maria’s husband. She served Jesus with gladness and always talked about Him. There isn’t a day that went by that we didn’t her talking about or to Jesus. It was quite entertaining as a kid to her her songs (which I treasure in my memory and will eventually record so I don’t forget them) as she washed clothes and her talks to God as she told Him all kinds of things. Pretty cool memories. 

3 • Love is an action - some mothers are not blood related, so God sent me the late Jewell Cummings as my American grandmother. We never talked about love because she showed it to me so well. This North Alabama woman lived what she believed. She embraced me as a granddaughter, had me over during my holiday breaks at college and met my parents when they came to see me graduate. Our bond was made in heaven and I am forever thankful for the impact she made in my life. 
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My Maternal Grandmother.
4 • Honor your father - I wasn’t the perfect child (my family can tell you that) so as a tween I saw my Maternal Grandmother washing clothes and I proceeded to complain about something I disliked about my father. My grandmother Lady went off and pretty much told me to honor my father because he is a good man. You think I forget an event like that but that made a big impact in my life. It taught me that my grandmother was thankful for the son-in-law God gave her and it taught me that she saw virtue in him. It also taught me that my family is really big on honoring adults. Honor is Godly and by did we practice it growing up. Now that my sweet grandma is in heaven I am thankful for this tough lesson which was given out of love. 

5 • I’ll make you McDonalds! - I didn’t ask for fast food often but once I did, my mother told me “I’ll make you…” Whatever food I wanted she pretty much could make it and even better than anything you may buy at a store. I was blessed to eat mostly homemade food. The sound of the pressure cooker and the smell of black beans are permanent part of my childhood. The smell of the rice seasoned with garlic was part of our upbringing. Every Saturday someone would bake a cake and we saved soda for special occasions. I never had a lecture about healthy foods from my parents because they ate mostly fresh food they cooked themselves. I am thankful to be able to do the same for my kids. 

6 • Enjoy the simplicity of Running - my friend and mentor Jeanne Megna has encouraged me like no other to keep running. She has been where I am and she gives me amazing advice. One of the things that are imprinted in my mind is her advice to keep running and enjoy it. Kids will grow and it will get easier to focus on different things runners focus on. For now, it’s important to just run and enjoy the beauty of this season. I find that the best thing about running are not the medals, the race swag or the glory but running itself. I am glad I have Jeanne as a reminder of that. 

7 • I am here for you. My mother lives in Brazil and God knows that so He gave me Kay Zost. Kay has been a blessing beyond measure. I appreciate her generous and joyful heart. I appreciate her faith in God and her immeasurable love for her family. I find that when God connected us He also gave Kay a heart for my entire family. I know she’s the mother figure I have for such a time as this. She’s also a great friend, prayer warrior and encourager. I admire Kay more than words can say and I appreciate her willingness to be there for me, no matter what. I want to be someone’s Kay down the road. Only God could fill my need for a mom away from mom. I thank God for Kay and I hope to be there for someone when they need that motherly love and wisdom the most. 

Okay, this was one of the most difficult pieces I had to write because Mother’s Day has never been a “happy happy joy joy” holiday for me. When I first came to the US it was tough cause I was never with my mother. When I had my own kids that never really changed but it kinda intensified because of the physical demands of motherhood. Now that all my grandmothers are in heaven I miss their presence but I am assured that being present with the Lord beats being on earth any day. 

Whether you are enjoying Mother’s Day or feeling a little down, know that God, who created motherhood, knows what it takes. He knows the pain we sometimes carry and He’s willing and able to fill any need or heal any pain. I want to thank God for all the women who made an impact in my life. If it wasn’t for all of you, there wouldn’t be me. I pray that you have a great Mother’s Day, in heaven or here on earth. You are loved!