Always a Mom

Last Updated on March 23, 2018

Summer is forest fire season in Arizona, and right now the fires are raging in full force. They’re front-page copy in many newspapers and first lead reports on hourly newscasts as we watch the drama of evacuations, lost homes, and grueling firefighting.

What used to be a bystander’s curiosity has now turned into a personal concern for me. We happen to have a son who grew up to fulfill one of the most frequent dreams that little boys have — to be a fireman. Our youngest has fought forest fires for the last three seasons, and I am here to tell you as a mom, it doesn’t get any less worrisome the longer he does this.

Whether we have toddlers, teens, or adult children, there is something that binds our mother’s heart with theirs. In so many ways, we need to know that they are okay before we can be okay. This is where a mom’s faith has to grow as her children grow. It’s part of handing them back to God and acknowledging that truly their lives are in God’s hands.

The other evening, knowing that our son was fighting a huge forest fire throughout the night, I had gone to bed with a heavy heart, praying for God’s protection and trying to trust and not worry. I had my cell phone on my nightstand, and in the middle of the night, a text message came through. As I read the text, my heart swelled with gratitude, and my eyes filled with tears of love. Although this youngest child has crossed over into the grownup world, he realizes his mom will always need to know that he’s okay. His short text meant the world to me:

Thanks for praying. Love you Mom. Miss you.

Whether our child is out in the backyard climbing on the swing set or in a forest full of blazing trees, our mom’s hearts will always be tuned in to them and the dangers they face because we are always their mothers. Either way, we have the opportunity to entrust our children to God daily and see Him watch over them.