A Mother’s Treasured Things
The easiest and quickest way to clear a room of my sons in my house, regardless of age, is to talk about the day they were born.
Really, though, they don’t want to hear any of my stories.
This month, we have a 14-16-18-18-27 Party, celebrating two sons’ birthdays and three grandsons’ birthdays. I could tell you all the stories of answered prayers sitting around the table, and if I tried, they’d just say, “Stop, Mom!” The little grandsons wouldn’t even sit still long enough to listen.
These boys don’t want to hear about how the oldest son, how he cracked open our hearts where we found a bigger love than we ever thought possible, a big enough love for more than we imagined, for more than we’d prayed.
The second one doesn’t want to hear about how he was the answer to a prayer who taught his mother unconditional love, that God’s got the plan, that He saves in ways unimaginable, that He has loved my boy bigger than I ever could. Through him, I learned the most important part of living is in the wait of a prayer sent out. Because of this son, my heart broke for the lost.
The third – he was the answer to a prayer, too. He doesn’t mind hearing about how I craved hot wings and all things jalapenos. He loves them, too! He doesn’t mind hearing about how he came before Nanny and Papaw could get to the hospital, ruining their record of being on-site for every delivery. He loves being the only one who can sneak up on me. He’s the one with the Joy of The Lord, the one allowed to tell the family story. He’s the one you’d like to sit long and talk much with. He’s the one that had stomach pains since second grade, who couldn’t run by the time he was in 6th grade. He’s grace carrying a hard story that only he can tell.

The 4th one – He’s what some will call a rainbow baby. He’s the child with the miracle story. Keith and I detoured to Cracker Barrel waiting for my contractions to get closer together, not realizing it was a miracle day and that God had been preparing for a battle before we even knew it was upon us. He was held by the hand of God that day as nurses’ tears fell, the last words I’d heard, “I don’t have a heart beat.” A literal and figurative crashing happened in that delivery room where moments before my husband’s head bent over mine prayer and all I could pray was Jesus name – because a minister had told a story about how his granny had just said the name of Jesus as a prayer when he was sick and he was made well. Jesus knows what needs doing for the saving when we don’t or can’t. In the middle of all this chaos, all those tears, an anesthetist who took 16 minutes coming because he didn’t hear the “stat” part of the page – our son was ushered into the world, held safe by the hands of God. How do I know? I have the scars and Cam has the life to prove it. What confidence, what blessing to know that even before you took your first breath, God loved you so!
The 5th one was a reminder that when God answers prayers, God answers abundantly. After our first son was born, we’d experienced secondary infertility. Years of prayer, leaning into God, learning to listen, to trust, to give the dream to Him – and He gave it back. With this son, I learned that trusting God doesn’t always mean praying and God will straightening the path, take all the stones out. Because of the 4th sons’ delivery, I needed to have a c-section two before my due date because I could hemorrhage and die before I even knew I was hemorrhaging. My doctor was taking a trip to Scotland and thought I’d probably be safe enough for him to make it back, placing me at my original due date. I left thinking, “O.K. – I have faith God’s got this.” If my faith is big enough, true enough, I will be fine – right? Between that visit and the next, unrest, turmoil roiled inside my spirit, growing, growing, growing. When I saw the doctor at my next check up, I told him I felt more comfortable going with the original plan – c-section two weeks prior to the due date. His partner delivered our son, the cord was wrapped around my son’s neck and there was a kink in the cord. Two more weeks would have been devastating for him. I learned faith is listening to God’s still, small voice to discern what He would have me do. Sometimes He knows when a battle is needed with miraculous intervention. Other times, He shepherds us onto safer paths where miraculous actions aren’t needed because unnecessary danger be avoided by listening to Him.
I understand the treasures Mary had in her heart – all the stories of her son, Jesus. Maybe she stored them up because He was the Son of God – but I think she also stored them up because of her mother’s heart for this son of hers. Isn’t that what mother’s do? Become keepers of the stories? In the storing, she was able to pull them out any time for comfort, for remembrance, for when he was hers and not the worlds – and for when He was the worlds.
“But His mother treasured up all these things in her heart.” ~ Luke 2:51
No – my boys don’t want to hear these stories, so I will store them up in my heart and treasure them, think about them, thank God for them. It’s a priceless gift God gives a mother – these memories.

Remember Me Monday: #42& Linky
“I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings,
all the things God has done that need praising,
All the generous bounties of God,
his great goodness to the family of Israel—
Compassion lavished,
love extravagant.”
~ Isaiah 63:7, The Message
In the Old Testament, God repeatedly, quietly and loudly, tells his children, “You have forgotten me!” (Jeremiah 3:32, Ezekiel 22:12, to name a few). It’s a heart cry from a father to a child who has forgotten all the love, all the saving, helping, little and big blessings – and it leaves me stunned when I realize our Father, the creator of the universe, who knows things I cannot begin to fathom, who authors storylines that leave me amazed, delights in all of us so much, He cries out, “Remember Me.”
While every day is a Remember God Day, I am inviting you to join me on Monday mornings to come by and remember what God has done for you, for your family. Maybe God sent a cardinal darting out in front of you, as if to tell you, “I’m here,” or broke a child’s fever after you laid it all down at His feet in a 2 a.m. bedside vigil. Maybe He stood with you in the wait of a prayer sent out, or brought someone you loved to Christ. Maybe He healed your broken heart, gave your courage, or you gave Him your dreams as a love offering only to have Him give them back in an unimaginable way. Maybe God helped you survive to bedtime after a crazy Monday, or forgive yourself for missing it with your kiddos –– Whatever it is, let’s Remember Him. . . in a “Remember Me Monday” love letter.
“My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
Of your salvation all the day long,
Though I know not its measure.
I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord”
~ Psalm 71:15-16.
Let us delight in Him by telling the stories of what He’s done! If you wrote a blog post remembering what He’s done for you, join the linky. If you didn’t but still want to praise Him for what He’s done – write it in the comment section. Then visit a comment before or after yours! One of the beautiful things about the blogging community is the relationships it builds!
Rules? Write long or short, a list or a story, include photos or not. Just Remember Him and what He has done, and let the gratitude of your heart guide you. Let’s make Monday so Rejoice, that the goodness of God spills into the rest of the week!
Places I’m Linking at This Week:
Inspire Me Monday, Instaencouragements,
Share a Link Wednesday, Legacy Link-Up
Grace and Truth, Faith on Fire, Tell His Story
***All photos marked with Muddy Photography or © Blue Cotton Memory or used within Blue Cotton Memory blog(s) belong Blue Cotton Memory. Going forward, photos will be marked with Muddy Photography.
Oh Maryleigh thank you for sharing those memories with us! I am in an emotional, remembering kind of place too. But your words brought tears to my eyes today. Our God is truly so full of miraculous grace for us! And someday, those boys will be glad that you have kept their stories for them.
Only another boy mum (I think) could fully enter in to the stories we hold and the way we filter what we talk about with our boys. And that the relationship can be healthy even so…
You are so right Michele – and I think a boys-only mom has a difference experience in the story-telling. There is such a different way stories are passed down between a mother with a daughter than a mother with sons only. The way the story is told might be different – but the heart of it remains true either way. I love being a boy-mom. I needed to be out of my box – and God knew it!
Your sons might not want to hear your stories … but we do! Thanks for sharing the miracle of each birth. As a mom, I love a good birth story.
Thank you, Jerralea! Men have their war stories of great valor – we have our life stories of great faith!
Oh Maryleigh, what a gift to read this. God is just so very faithful. Thank you so much for placing the link to this post at the bottom of your comment on my site.
Oh how your stories make me miss my own Mama even more. I am her eldest daughter, one of six children and she went home to Jesus in 2014, after a 5 month battle with brain cancer.
Anna – what stories your mama had! I am so sorry she is not there to tell them over and over. I hope you have them – and tell them over and over to your siblings, to your children and their children – the hope and faith stories, the funny stories, the giving life stories! Shalom, friend! ~ Maryleigh
I loved hearing these stories! Each child born comes into this world with their own unique story! And we moms, never forget them!
No, Joanne, we don’t forget them – and we love the sharing of them!
Maryleigh, this is such a beautiful post. As we’ve just watched our first walk the aisle and receive his diploma, those stories of his birth, his growing years, and recent months have all gathered in my heart, causing tears to spill over at some of the remembering. I LOVED this: “Isn’t that what mother’s do? Become keepers of the stories?” So beautiful and so true. Thanks for sharing the story of your family.
A lovely post Maryleigh.
Blessings,
Jennifer
This post was lovely and just filled my mama’s heart this afternoon. Thank you for sharing your memories. For the ones shared and the ones stored….I pray God will bless your heart and home during this busy birthday month!!
I loved hearing your stories. And you know who else will? A wife who loves that boy!
Oh those stories are all so special and definitely ones to treasure in your heart. I’m so glad that your boys were all answers to prayers in their own way and that your 4th and 5th both arrived safely. June sounds like a very busy month in your family – I hope your sons and grandsons all have happy birthdays.
Yes! They were answers to prayers – and in so many unexpected, un-looked-for ways! God is never one-dimensional!
This is so beautiful. I’m glad you shared these stories with us.