Monday, May 14, 2007

Mother's Day

I've enjoyed visiting each of your blogs and reading your Mother's Day posts. For many, Mother's Day is a day of celebration; gathering all of our children and celebrating the gifts that God has given.

Many of my Mother's Days have been just that--my heart was full as each of my children spent the day lavishing hand-made cards, priceless art work and kisses galore. For the last decade, Mother's Day has been a dismal reminder that our family is fractured. There was the Mother's Day that my MIP showed up 20 minutes late to leave for Mother's Day brunch with a black-eye and broken cell phone. His girlfriend was mad that he was spending a few hours with me, so she grabbed his cell phone, smashed it to the floor and hit him square in the face before storming out of the door.

Or the Mother's Days that were spent with my other two children, my heart filled with gratitude for their presence while trying to balance the dread that I felt knowing that I did not know what my son was doing that day....or any day.

Or the Mother's Day spent in the hospital with my son fearing for his life as he struggled with unknown intestinal bleeding.

Or the Mother's Day.......

And then there was THIS Mother's Day! We spent the weekend with our entire family at our Lake Cabin. We dined at a local restaurant on Saturday evening to celebrate Mother's Day. I had to pinch my self as we walked into the restaurant and sat at a table for seven. With all of my children sitting around a table once again, my heart was filled to overflowing and the tears were hard to hold back. We talked, we laughed, we enjoyed a great meal together. We looked like any other family celebrating....family.

Still, this simple event was unlike any that we have experienced in so many years. No arguing, no disappointments, no judgements, no sadness. In fact, from the moment our MIP arrived at the Cabin, we interacted as a family with such ease. No tension, no outbursts, no rage, no predictable upsets. This may not seem like a miracle to you--but let me repeat, while doing the "PTL Happy-dance"....this was a miracle. It has, literally, been years since our family has been in the same room without any sibling tension or parental strife.

My MIP gave me a Mother's Day Card which read:

Mom, I took a few detours along the road to adulthood.....
Thanks for never losing sight of who I really was.

Through the years of tears, our vision has never been clouded....yes, son, we will never lose sight of who you really are. The possibility that you are beginning to get a glimpse of just that same vision holds deep and lasting promise.

It was a very! good! Mother's Day!

Dawn celebrated Mother's Day with her entire family, once only a dream, yesterday--a blessed reality. Please stop by her blog and then head off to Kevin's for Part VII of their shared Story of Deliverance.

Truly, we are not defined by the fractures of our lives, we are, in fact, defined by the One who mends our broken hearts and satisfies our every hope and dream. Even when we lose our vision, He never loses sight of His divine goal....for every moment of our lives. In fact, He works with what we give Him and He often works best with our fractured circumstances.

My MIP signed a personal note on my card, part of which read, "Great hand-eye coordination, Mom!" At first glance, I didn't understand....but then I got it! My MIP understands, each and every painful thing we have done in his prodigal journey has been a tangible hands-on intervention coming from our vision of who we know he can be....who he truly is. Is THAT a God thing...or what? God is gathering my son's thoughts and bringing him home.

THAT is a gift worth celebrating!

15 comments:

Dawn said...

Thanks for the kind words! And for the link. There is an unfinished sentence - check it out!

Have a super MOnday. Sounds like Sunday was awesome. What a blessing for both of us!!

Dawn said...

I didn't finish either - that card from Curt is priceless. I am so happy that he is doing so well!

Heather Smith said...

Dancing a little jig here on my end for you! This is SOOOOOOO awesome!

Kristen said...

I am so happy for you that you had such a wonderful Mother's Day with your entire family! What a blessing for you....and a miracle!

I hope the rest of your Mother's Days from here on out are that way for you!!

Thanks for the b-day greetings for my little Feisty. :-)

Barb said...

Yes, it's a God thing. I'm celebrating my own God thing right now. I have to say, the mother's day you celebrated this year sounds wonderful.

Mine was quiet. Very, very quiet and for that I am truly thankful.

Linda said...

What an encouraging, uplifting post. I am so happy for you. It just made my somewhat "down" afternoon. Thank You Lord for what You have done and what You are doing in this precious son's life. I will continue to remember him when I pray.
My son gave me a little plaque that reads "Our family is about remembering what matters, letting go of what doesn't, laughing, loving and knowing life good because we have each other."
We've walked through difficult circumstances of another kind this year and we are finding God is all He has promised He would be.

Susan said...

I'm new to your site but touched greatly with your post today. I can SO relate to what you have writen. I've had some of those days as we've walked, with God's help, through some difficult times with 2 of our 4 children (who are now all adults) but we have come full circle and are reaping the joyous family together with which you spent Mother's Day. God has His plans and purposes and we just have to constantly know that He knows what He's doing and what it's all about. We don't ....but we aren't asked to either. We are asked to have faith and trust in the only one who can be trusted, our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.
Susan

someone else said...

That's a really sweet photo, Diane. I'm happy your Mother's Day was so nice.

Nadine said...

After reading about Mother's Day past, I rejoice with you about Mother's Day present. What a blessing from the Lord to bring you such joy. I pray all your future Mother's Day will be blessed.

Diane@Diane's Place said...

What a handsome and happy group! Love the family photo, Diane. ;D

As you know, my Mother's Day was very special this year as well.

Life is a journey, not a destination. Here's to travelling that straight and narrow way as close to God as we can get.

Love and hugs,

Diane

Joanne said...

Sorry to sound dumb but what does MIP stand for?

Diane Viere said...

Joanne,

Not a dumb question.....

MIP is an abbreviation for "miracle in progress" which one of my blogging friends left it in a comment regarding our journey with our Prodigal son.

Thanks for visiting...and for the interaction! You are right...I should have the clarification SOMEWHERE!

Have a great day.

Diane

Joanne said...

Thank you for explaining.
I have 4 "children", the oldest struggles with alcohol, and I struggle with the fear that he will drive drunk and kill someone. I struggle to leave it with the Lord, but as I am s ure you know it is hard!
And this is only one story, whooo Parenting is such a difficult job
I appreciate this blog!

groovyoldlady said...

God is good.

Michelle (wife, mom, grandma, daughter, sister, friend, co-worker, and striving to be a Proverbs 31 woman) said...

I am so blessed to find your blog through Susan (penless). We are walking a hard road with our son, and I am so blessed to find so many others traversing the same, though also uncharted, territory. We all have similiarities and differences to our stories, but often our hearts are in the same place -- grieving yet hopeful.
I have been blogging for just a little while, but through that have found some wonderful friends who pray for me, and for whom I can pray for. And we each share pockets of wisdom and encouragement along the way.
Thank you again for your openness. I look forward to reading more of your blogs!
Michelle