Dear Mothers,
Sorry I haven't written much lately. I mean much of anything serious. Last evening, David and John came over with the grand babies. I knew Johnny would start telling funny stories, and he did. We were sitting outside in lawn chairs. I needed to laugh.
So he tells this story about when he lived in St Louis. He was working as a cook in this restaurant. He worked with this African man who had this girlfriend. She was white and John said she was absolutely huge -- probably 400 pounds. Well, this man "Fred" asked John if he would give him and his girlfriend a ride home after work. John said he would but he didn't know where the man lived. As Fred directed John, they went to the worst part of St Louis. John said, "Mom, there was this dirt road in the city, and dogs ran all over loose and garbage every place." So John stops the car to let Fred and his honey out and Fred says he wants John to meet his Mama. So John says, "OK." So Mama comes runnin' out the front door, screamin' "Fred, I told you I didn't want you to be bringin' anymore white fat girls home. You take that fat girl and get outta here." Fred says slowly with a tear in his eye to his Mama, "Well, then, Mama? Just shoot me, Mama." And she says, "I don't have a gun." So Fred goes in the house and gets a gun and hands it to his Mama. She took the gun and pointed it right at Fred and shot his cap off. John says she shot the material right off the button on the top of his cap. The cap just flew in the air.
John's eyes were as big as dinner plates when he told that story. I laughed so hard, I could hardly breathe. David was sitting beside me in the lawn chair and he was laughing, too. But he is more quiet. Jimmy, our oldest son, says, "Are you sure David is one of us? He is so quiet." But that was about the funniest story Johnny ever told.
Then John says, "Mom, did you know that you and Grandma called me about 8 times at work today?" I said, "Johnny, I didn't know if you are at work or not." (He has a cell phone.) He said that was OK but his manager tried to take his phone. That boy is a piece of work. Well, he ain't a boy anymore -- he is a man.
I sat with my boys last evening. Each are so handsome. I looked at David, now 25. "David, you don't wear those earrings anymore?" He says, "Well, Mom, I haven't worn them in 2 years." I thought to myself, "Connie, you about died when David got earrings and a tattoo. And now you haven't even noticed that he don't have the earrings anymore"? So I looked at John and he don't have them, either. Thank God. And they both are wearing decent pants. Thank the Almighty God! I guess life is worth living.
Christian and Jason are getting married in August in NYC. The good news is I don't have to go to the wedding and it's OK with Christian and Jason. I have seen enough punk rockers to last me a lifetime. Some of those Mohawks are a foot tall and they put black shoe polish on them to hold 'em up. Christine (John's wife) and David's girlfriend and I are staying home. I think Chrissy will have something here, later on, so the family can all give her gifts.
Jimmy and I, the other day, was saying how funny it is that if you google Christian Joy, Happy Housewifery will come up. Christian loves it, too. I bet I reach more people than I think on this contraption. I guess I should be nice when I talk about punk rockers, as they are probably reading this stuff. I HOPE THEY GET SAVED! Actually, a lot of 'em are nice kids. It's just all that metal in their faces that kills me.
I do believe our kids who were raised for Jesus do come back to the way they were raised.I am seeing that in my kids. One thing with my kids is that they have lived with me who had an anointing. And this anointing has gone onto them. And I think they don't know what to do with it. They have taken it to the world and the world is fascinated by it. It's something different but not godly.
Faithful Mothers
Ya know, I know so many of you mothers who raised your children for Jesus are so disappointed as the children are now around 18 or in their early 20s. It's hard to watch a child grow up and not live by what you taught them. Man, my heart is so scarred and bruised. I mean had I been sleepin' around, doin' drugs, gettin' drunk and ignoring my kids, then I could understand it. But I mean, when ya give your life to be a good Mother, and then your child leaves the nest and goes into a life of sin? Man, ya think what else could you have done to make things right?
Early on, I gave up and didn't even want the older kids around me. But not Papa. No, not Papa. He would not reject his children. No, he wouldn't. He would invite them over for meals and all. It unnerved me and made me feel worse about them as I saw more tattoos and more piercings. Out of sight out of mind was my motto. But not Papa. He wouldn't even notice the new tattoo or the new earrings. He just wanted the closeness of his children around him. I would stand in the corner silent and heartbroken. But then I would just go over to my boys and hug 'em and kiss them. I thought, "Why should I let the devll keep me from holding my babies?"
Papa showed me how to walk with our kids through the valley of the shadows of death. It's not been easy but I do see the value of that lesson. It's hard to watch your dear children not do right. But we have to keep on prayin' as Mothers and watch God work. We can't change our kids -- only God can. But they are our family and we have to help them if we can. We have to cast our mother's heart upon the Lord and let Him do what we can't do. And the Lord will save our children. The Lord will send angels to speak to them and to remind them of what they were taught at their mother's knee.
Our prayers are not forgotten, ever, by the Father. It is so hard, dear Mothers, but we must trust in God, knowing that our children are in better hands then ours. The Lord is near a broken and contrite heart. He is near us and hears our prayers and He holds us in His hands. But we plant our seeds of righteousness in our children and we will come again rejoicing and bringing in much fruit. If we don't give up, we will see His glory. Weeping lasts for the night but JOY comes in the morning. Many godly mothers' prayers produced great men of God.
All I want in this world is that my children would know the Lord, and yet I must lay my Issacs down at the foot of the cross. As I walk with them through the valley of the shadows, I must pray that they will pass each test. It wasn't my sin that brought us there, but it was theirs and I must go willingly to walk with them. And now with Mary, she doesn't want me to walk with her. And so I have to leave her to herself.
We put our faith on the line and then we have to take on patience and long suffering as fruits of the Spirit. We must rest in our sufferings and know that the Lord is with us and He will answer our prayers. He is answering them now.
Love,
Connie
