Mother........

I am a 'Keurentjes'. This is something that I am very proud of. During sports games where one of 'us' is participating you can hear some people chant "Keurentjes, Keurentjes" Sometimes people will yell "Hey, Keurentjes" to get our attention. It just rolls of the tongue so nicely. We are proud of the 'Keurentjes' heritage. Growing up my brothers and I would even tease each other by calling the other a 'Kempe.' This is my mothers maiden name. When we would breg on being a 'Keurentjes' my mom would often tell us: "You have Kempe in you too!" Yet we would never label our selves as a Kempe. There is nothing wrong with being a Kempe, but after all we are 'Keurentjes'. As name brearer, Judah already knows that he is a 'Keurentjes'. Even our significant others get what it means to be a 'Keurentjes'.

You are probably wondering why I am ranting on about being a 'Keurentjes'. Well as we all know yesterday was mothers-day. So in church they showed a video where people would repeat some of the typical things their mom always told them. And then they continued to ask them to do a typical face their mom would give them. This got me to think about that. I have tons of things that I could fill in on those blanks if it was about my dad. But with my mom I had to think real hard and long. This made me wonder why that would be. After all my mom is a great mom and she has been there for me all of my life. But why are the main things I could hear my mom say (or yell) "GERARD!" and "You have Kempe in you too!"? So I have been thinking about my mom.

My mom was there every day when we came home from school. We would drink a cup of tea and have a little snack. She would make us do our home work and help us if we needed it. She would make dinner every day. She cooked for us even when she was fasting. She cleaned the house. And even though you can't really see it in my life she taught me to do the same. She taught me how to cook, clean, iron, sow. She was always there to help she was there early in the morning (until we were old enough to make our own breakfast). She dropped out of college and gave up her personal dreams when she became mom. Being mom was part of her dream but she made it her everything. She loved us unconditionally. She is funny. She spent time with her heavenly Father every day and laid the foundation for our spirituality. She has a heart of gold. She learned to like 'the A-Team', 'McGuyver' and action movies. She would spent time with us and let us make a disaster of the house when we played and then help us clean up. She welcomed us and our friends home. She tought us how to skip school by taking us out for hot chocolat and apple pie during school because she wanted to spent some one on one time with us. She taught us that it is more important to do your best than it is to succeed. Our house was a 'home' because of her. She prayed for us on a daily basis ever since she found out that she was pregnant and still does. I can best compare her to the strong foundation of a house. You don't really see it but without it your house would fall. I am convinced that our home was strong because of her.

So no, I can't really tell you what my mom would typically say to us or a face she would give us to know what she ment oter than all the tears she has spent on our behalf and her protection through prayer. I vision my mom sitting on her chair with a cup of coffee her colored pensils and her bible. Spending time with God and petitioning Him on our behalf. Even Judah knows that Oma Keurentjes reads her bible daily. He will join her when she does. He grabs her pensils and she will let him draw in her bible. He is already learning from her that God is real and wants him to know Him. Yes she would yell for my dad when she couldn't handle the situation (which was daily). And yes she would let us know that we have 'Kempe' in us to. But I have to be honest and let you know that I am very proud to be the son of my mother. I have 'Kempe' in me too!

I am proud about my mom. She has laid down her live to serve all four of us. And now that we are all grown and on our own legs she continues to lead us. This summer she is going to spent 3 months in Mozambique. There she will be going to the school of ministry with Iris Ministries. She will love the unlovable. She will minister to orphans, AIDS children, the poorest of the poor, people that live on dumps, etc. She leads us by example. Showing us how to live in the service of the Most High.

Thank you mom for who you are.