Dedicated to Toshiko Soto Mabry (Jan 1, 1930 – August 27, 2011)
Letting go of someone who has meant so much to you all your life is extremely hard. Someone who never did anything out of selfishness. Someone who gave up everything important for family. Someone who made sure to set the example of goodness, kindness, and gentleness. My mother was this person to me. She loved ten completely different children with everything we define as “love.” She loved us uniquely and individually. She lived a life of love filled with the happiness of caring. When she laughed it was with genuine joy. It was contagious.
A Pastor once told me that “you can only give away as much love as you have been loved.” We are loved by a great God. Our Heavenly Father sent His only Son, Jesus Christ to die on a cross to take away the sin of all mankind. There is no greater love than His. We must choose to receive it. When we do — we become vessels of His infinite source of love. Now, it is our choice to keep it or give it away. We are commanded by Christ to pour it out on an undeserving world, filled with hate, darkness, and despair. He did it — and His great love fills the world today. It is the basis to every righteous, truthful decision. It is the spark that sets in motion forgiveness, mercy, and grace.
My mother taught me how to love. I believe God used my mother’s love as Love’s beginning lesson which will eventually grow into (and with) His eternal love. Though every living person must pass from this world into eternity. My mother’s love stays with me, so she stays me. And when I am in the presence of my Lord Jesus, my mother will be with me – because she love me and she gave her love away.