Even though our home may be empty, there are always special items in our home to remind me of my Mother’s Paychecks – how I was paid as a Mom. This story is one that has come to my mind this week as I await the arrival of our daughters coming home for Thanksgiving.
When Laryssa was about 10 or 11, I caught her with a flashlight under her covers one night after she was suppose to be asleep. Of course, that was against our family rules and when I found her, I immediately switched into “discipline mode” and demanded that Laryssa show me what she had under the covers. I remember her cries of “no, Mommy, no — please don’t make me.” She was adamant that she would not show me what she had under the covers (I assumed it was a book that she was not allowed to read). I stood at the end of her bed and lectured her on the importance of obeying me and how if she didn’t obey me, she might not be obedient to God someday. I really felt that I had done some great “mothering” when I walked out of her room – I was sure that Dr. Dobson would be proud of me and that Laryssa would experience the sadness of her disobedience.
Imagine how I felt several weeks later, when I received this amazing needle point as a gift from Laryssa.
This is what she was working on under her covers – this special little needle point that she designed, bought the supplies for and then created in under the covers in her bed at night. Today, this masterpiece sits in my kitchen where I can see it and remember the recognizable moment of a daughter who still offered grace and love after her mother did not.
And that is A Mother’s Paycheck….
I’ve heard this story many times and it always makes me smile!