{Please enjoy happy children's art to mitigate sadness in this post!}
Last Friday, while Scout and I were grocery shopping, my mother called. I knew I couldn't concentrate on following my list, not falling, and driving the cart all at the same time, so I declined the call. Thinking to myself "I'll call her back when we get home and all of the groceries are unloaded and put up, and I can give her my undivided attention".
Rustown Art
So, that's what I did.
I'm not going to lie about wanting to call her right back - I dragged my heels for sure. I ate lunch and drank a glass of wine with it. Then I called her. Let me just say, I'm glad I had the foresight to have that wine cause the convo went all kinds of sideways like it has lately. Which explains why I put off calling her back. Oh yes, this has become a trend when she and I talk.
Somewhere in the course of the conversation, after she had spent a fair amount of time complaining about anything and everything she thought I could let her get away with, she told me YET AGAIN that I was not going to heaven. I think the woman thinks that she's somehow God's spokesperson and he values her input to the point that she can make pronouncements like that. But I think not.
Rustown Art
It's distressing to hear your mother tell you that you have no faith and will spend your eternity in Hell. I'm not sure when she arrived at that opinion. Is it based on the way I live my life? Is is based on the way she lives hers? I could go into the differences in how we both go about our business on this earth, and you might think it as ironic as I do. I'd love to know where I am faltering, but I want that info from God, not my mother. I think it's ludicrous. Vastly unfair. And untrue. But I refuse to plead my case with her and try to change her wrong-headed opinion.
Rustown Art
Prayer to myself: Help me lift my children up in their daily lives. Counsel them and instruct them. Praise them when they are on the right track. Remind them when they aren't. But never tell them I have the power to damn them! And love them until the end of my days. That way, if I become insensate or senile, they will know better than to believe any nonsense that comes out of my mouth to the contrary.
Amen.
Oh Gina, I can so relate to this. My mother hasn't told me I am going to be damned, but she has told others for sure. And, truth be told that many times that is the pot calling the kettle black. She does however like to only point out my flaws. It gets very tiring and draining. And, truth be told, there have been times where I have just had to step away from the relationship, and let God!
ReplyDeletePraying for you sweet friend.