Tea with the Queen

"A mother's heart is always with her children." - Proverb 

"Only God himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children." - Billy Graham

"If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been." - Robert Brault

"Mothers of teenagers know why animals eat their young." - Unknown

"Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible." - Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul

"Any mother could perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease." - Lisa Alther

Yesterday, me and my sister joined our mom in attending a ladies' tea at our church here in Mexico City. A beautiful message given by our mom (who spoke in Spanish and of whom we are so proud) was followed by a brief questionnaire; conversation among friends; coffee, cupcakes, and cheesecake; and a silly game. The game involved a queen sitting on a chair (her throne) who commenced to demand random objects from the other players, divided into two teams. She would say, "La reyna pide..." (The queen asks for...) before proceeding to request an agenda, a blue pen, red lipstick, etc. The first team to get a person to the queen with the object in question would then receive a point. Above is a picture of the queen with her royal "crown" (or more chiefly, a party hat cut into a crown by someone who shall remain anonymous). 

The simple game led me to think of the significant role of a mother. She is the queen in her own family. Her duties, in respect to raising her children, include kissing places that hurt, cleaning up messes, scaring away monsters under the bed or in the closet, patching up clothes, mending broken hearts, providing wisdom, listening to troubles, and encouraging confidence. She is always giving, loving, sacrificing. 

In my life, one of the greatest influences of who I am today and who I want to be in the future, is my mother. She's helped me through tough changes, challenged me to follow my dreams, and has been a significant role model in my life. So thank you, mom, and happy Mother's Day. 

Castles in the Sand

Last week, I and my family enjoyed five fun days of pleasure and refreshment at the beautiful Puerto Vallarta for the Mexico missionaries' retreat. I had the great opportunity, along with an amazing and beautiful friend, to work with four adorable and mischievous toddlers while I was there. On one of the mornings, we decided that a short trip to the beach would be a perfect time-passer and easy kid-pleaser. The journey there was an adventure in and of itself, as we trudged four impatient and distracted toddlers through the hotel, across the pool area, through the sand, and finally to the shore where we found the perfect place to build what was unquestionably expected to be the biggest and best sand castle in the world. We worked for about an hour: digging trenches, building walls, forming mounds, and carrying water to and from the shore in water bottles to keep our structure from falling apart (although the youngest toddler might have done more damage by crawling through the outer wall and inadvertently sitting on a tower or two). Our castle may not have won any awards for beauty, style, or organization, but to us it was still an amazing, unstructured, chaotic, and messy success. 

Before the castle construction had begun, the assumption was made that this sand castle was going to be the best there ever was, spurring excitement and determination through each of the kids to dig and build and sometimes throw the sand into submission. To any passers-by, the sand castle most likely appeared just as a haphazard hole in the beach, with various trenches and towers surrounding a mountain of white sand in the middle. But the toddlers who helped build it didn't see it this way: they built it, it was big, and it was the best because it was theirs. Lots of effort went into this castle, but it seemed like no matter how much we tried, we could not keep all the walls of the castle up at the same time for very long. The sand kept crumbling apart and being flown into the wind (or smashed by the tiny, enthusiastic fists of an energetic three-year-old). It seemed as if this castle was a lost cause for completion, so at the end of an hour or so, we gathered up all the water bottles, cameras, and cast-off shoes and made our way back to the hotel to hopefully get cleaned up before the parents started arriving for their children. 

Looking back, I can remember countless hours spent on the beach building castles when I was younger. Sand walls falling and crumbling in on themselves or being flooded by the waves would often cause spouts of frustration for me. I had worked for hours on that wall, digging careful trenches and tunnels to divert the crashing tides, but still the sea was often much more powerful than my sand walls. 

It seems so often in my life that I am building walls of sand. I have determination and will, a plan that I energetically and with much effort attempt to carry out. I build a castle, but the sea is so hard against me. Soon, I must start over. The task is never-ending as the waves are unrelenting. I sometimes find myself constantly rebuilding my dreams, ideas, plans for the future. Waves crash down when my world view is suddenly questioned and I don't have the answer on hand. When unexpected tragedy occurs or something unexplainable happens and the sand crumble again, I sometimes want to give up, put an end to the building and watch the waves wash over my castle. But it is during those times of frustration and disappointment that I remember who controls the wind and the waves, who sculpts and shapes the hearts of people like clay (or sand), and who planned my life and knows what it holds. 

It seems like there are many people in the world who live their lives like a person who makes castles in the sand, relentless building and effort only to be destroyed by the tide. Discouragement and disappointment are usually faithful companions to those who are trying to make life on their own without the direction and guidance of an all-knowing and loving God. When the sand collapses beneath me and I fall into a pit of fear, doubt, or sadness, I am called to remember that it's hard to stand on sinking sand and that the foundation of my life must be as hard as rock for me to build on and not be struck down. 

So while I cherish the memories of building sand castles on a beach under a radiant sun, I will always remember the lesson they teach me: build your life on The Rock and you will not be destroyed by the waves of the sea, no matter how hard they come.