Short Stories

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“Why can’t I ever find a Mother’s Day Card without the stereotype mush!” she sighed. Ann had been looking at the greetings card rack for what seems like hours trying to find the perfect card to send her mom.

Besides the mushy stereotype cards, there were cards for young mothers, mothers to be, supportive mothers, always there for me mothers, friendship mothers and ethnic mothers; but none that described Ann’s relationship with her mom.

Finally she settled on a religious card, “Thank you Mother for Inspiring Faith in me” it read. “My mother may have not in sentiment expressed support and love to her children but when she introduced us to Christ she gave us all the love, support, friendship and everything else we need to succeed in life,” she said to herself smiling.

On the way home she thought of the times she would slip into the living room and quietly sit at the foot of her mother’s piano as she sang songs of worship and praise to God. “Come on Children Let’s Sing, It took a Miracle,” and “Lord Don’t Let Me Fail.”

“Lord keep me day by day,” she could hear the sound of the piano and her mother’s voice as she walked home from the store.
“In the pure and narrow way
I want to live,
I want to live
In a building not made by hands”

In her mind she was 7 years old again, in the living room sitting at the foot of her mother’s piano, listening, curious about the God she sang about.

“Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sins;
How shall my tongue describe it, where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free;
For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me.”

“Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,
Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;
Wonderful grace all sufficient for me for even me;
Broader than the scope of my transgressions,
Greater far than all my sin and shame;
O magnify the precious name of Jesus, Praise His name!”

Inside her apartment she signed the card, affixes a stamp and dropped it in her mailbox to be mailed.

Later that evening Ann’s mom called to see if she had plans for Mother’s Day. Now that Ann’s kids were grown and married, they always checked with each other to see if their children had made plans for them else they would do something together.

“My daughter and her husband are taking me out to breakfast and an early movie” Ann replied to her mom’s inquiry.
“Well, your baby sister wants to cook dinner for me so I’ll be with her.”

They wished each other Happy Mother’s Day and hung up. Mother’s Day was beautiful. Ann received a call from her son based in Nebraska, and her eldest daughter in Chicago. Her baby girl and her husband called with Mother’s Day wishes and a promise to come by later to visit.

Late that evening, after all the visits, gifts and cards, Ann climbed into bed. “I guess mom and Anissa are having a good time, I haven’t been able to reach her all afternoon” Ann thought to herself. Just as she dozed off to sleep the phone rang, it was her baby sister Anissa. “Ann, mom is in the hospital, she passed out this afternoon; you need to start praying!”

After hanging up the phone she began to pray. As she prayed for her mom she became overwhelmed with peace. “Mom must be okay” she said to herself. Continuing to pray and thank God for her mother, she drifted off to sleep again.

“R-r-r-r-ring”
“R-r-r-r-ring”
“Hello?”
“Ann, this is Larry, Mom just died I’m on my way to the hospital, call the rest of the family.”

She laid there in the silence, surrounded with peace and unbelief that her mom was gone. After calling her brother and other family members she climbed back into bed. For hours she laid awake praising God for her mother’s life of writing, singing and most of all introducing her and her siblings to Christ.

Though her mother didn't get to read her card; Ann discovered that her mom was a living Mother's Day Card read of those whose lives she touched.

NOTE: My mom, Cordelia Webster-Graham (also a FaithWriter member) entered into the presence of the Lord on Mother's Day, May 14, 2006 at 11:00pm; she was 71 years old.

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