Why giving away our time redeems our time.

(My mother died two weeks ago today. I’m reposting this as a tribute to her and an encouragement to me. It was written four years ago.)

I love you, mom.

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I don’t know about you but I have found the oddest thing to be true. When we give our time up for someone else, we almost always find we end up with more time.

Yesterday was a day totally spent on someone else. It’s Mother’s Day Sunday. My mom has had a tough winter. Two weeks ago she suffered a small stroke. I was concerned that would impede all the great progress she has made since her fall last September. She can’t get down on her knees anymore so gardening is out of the question.

I was at her house by 8:45 and never got out of the dirt till 1:00. The sun cooperated and stayed behind the clouds while I worked feverishly, weeding, spreading weed preventer and straightening her brick edging. After that we went to Home Depot and bought flowers for her deck and front porch. She loved seeing all the flowers. I loved seeing her enjoying the day. Last September I didn’t think this day would ever come again for her. I didn’t think this day would come for me.

I left her around 3:00 so she could rest. She fell asleep and called me when she woke up. Here’s what she said, “I looked outside and couldn’t believe this was my yard.” My eyes are tearing up a little as I write.

This has been a stellar day. It always is when you give it away. With Mother’s Day fast approaching, can I make an obvious point? It’s trite but that doesn’t make it any less true. What your mother needs is your time not your gifts. It’s easy to buy a gift. It’s much harder to give of yourself.

What was really cool today is that not once did I begrudge the time. Not once did I worry about my own yard and how I would get her gardens and mine done before the weeds took over.

When I came home I walked through my own gardens to assess what yet needs to be done. Guess what? It is further along the way to be being done than it has ever been at this time of year. I know there are no “garden genies” doing the work. I know God hasn’t performed a miracle. So you tell me, what is going on?

My gardens are bare now. But that’s the point. The weeds are gone and waiting for the lush garden hibernating underground. The “wall” was built so when someone is on the deck, they can’t see the entire garden without walking into it. It also serves the purpose of giving the climbing rosebushes somewhere to climb. The first picture shows the wall in bloom.