Ears to Hear: Behold Thy Mother

Today’s Talk: Behold Thy Mother

By Jeffrey R.  Holland

I am the mother of five, well four, almost five…let me explain.

It was early July 2015 when my husband came home from counseling with a new child (he’s a school psychologist) and told me the tragic details of Eric’s (name has been changed) life. Neglect, abandonment and betrayal had filled this young man’s days up to this point and it made my heart so very heavy. It was at that moment that the Spirit testified to me that at some point, this child would be in our home. So, six days before Thanksgiving 2015, it didn’t surprise me when I finally met Eric and welcomed him into our lives.  He was not a foster child and we are not foster parents; his designation was officially “homeless” and he was now a part of our family.

I could spend pages telling you the horrific things that Eric (age 14) has been exposed to, but let me briefly summarize for the purpose of this post. He was born with drugs in his system but never treated. He’s never had a stable home, spending most of his days in drug houses or living out of his mother’s van. He’s been abandoned, beaten, neglected, and forgotten. He’s been exposed to drugs, sex, violence, gangs and crime. He’s had to steal to eat, stay awake at night to not get assaulted, and run away. He’s truly lucky to still be alive.

Why would I tell you this story? I tell this story to make a point to all of you who are mothers, or will be mothers, or who mother other people’s children: YOU ARE IMPORTANT – YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  My husband and I take it one day at a time as Eric sheds years of tragedy that has built over his short lifetime. We have come to the conclusion that only one thing will truly make a difference in this boy’s life and that is love – consistent and unconditional love.

In Elder Holland’s talk he shares a few stories of the power of a mother’s love and the similarities that we share, as mothers, with our beloved Savior as we lift, bear, carry and love His children. Elder Holland says:

“Today I declare from this pulpit what has been said here before: that no love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child.”

In my example, I show you the real life devastation that can occur in a child’s life when love is not given. I share it with the hope that you will consider this example in your own mothering when you might wonder if you’re really making a difference… because I assure you that you are!

With the help of the ultimate burden carrier, our Savior Jesus Christ, we as mothers who strive to follow His example, make a tremendous impact on the lives of all the children we know and love. We have a most sacred role, one that is forever a part of who we are, to love, to teach, to uplift, to carry. We are mothers and we are molders of souls.

Let me end by sharing with you a sweet moment that Eric and I had about 7 days into his new life with us. I wanted him to know that I was not going anywhere and that he could trust me to take care of him. I took him by the hand and told him that although I was not his real mother, that I wanted to mother him, to love him and to be there for him. With tears running down his cheeks, I asked him what he was feeling. As an inability to be clear in his self expression is one of his issues, I barely got him to tell me what was on his heart. All he could say was, “No one has ever told me that before.” All I could do was hug him.

May we, as mothers in Zion realize and embrace our divine roles and the eternal impact that we have on the children we love.

May your day be blessed!

Laurel

Laurel Mizell

I am a wife, mom of 5, dancer, business woman and most of all I love to serve the Lord. When I’m not teaching dance or running kids around, you can usually find me reading deep thinking material or the scriptures. I love learning and sharing and growing in the gospel. I also make some mean chocolate chip cookies!