My Mother's Birthday

We celebrated my mother's 80th birthday this past weekend. 80 years, can you imagine? The things she has seen and been through in 80 years is astounding. The year she was born was 1929. The year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression.

10 years later in 1939 (mother being only 10 years old)September 1 – World War II: Nazi Germany invades Poland, beginning World War II in Europe.

1949 (mother being 20 years old)The first Volkswagen Beetle to arrive in the United States, a 1948 model, is brought over to New York by Dutch businessman Ben Pon. Unable to interest dealers or importers in the Volkswagen, Pon sells the sample car to pay his travel expenses. Only two 1949 models will be sold in America that year, convincing Volkswagen chairman Heinrich Nordhoff that the car has no future in the U.S. (The VW Beetle goes on to become the greatest automobile phenomenon in American history.)and The last U.S. troops withdraw from South Korea.

1959 (mother being 30 years old) Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. state. January 3 – A chartered plane transporting musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper goes down in foggy conditions near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all 4 occupants on board, including pilot Roger Peterson. The tragedy is later termed "The Day the Music Died", popularized in Don McLean's 1972 song "American Pie".

1969 (mother being 40 years old) Vietnam War: The very first U.S. troop withdrawals are made. November 15 – Dave Thomas opens his first restaurant in a former steakhouse on a cold, snowy Saturday in downtown Columbus, Ohio. He names the chain Wendy's after his 8-year-old daughter Melinda Lou (nicknamed Wendy by her siblings).

1979 (mother being 50 years old) The Susan B. Anthony dollar is introduced in the U.S. March 26 – In a ceremony at the White House, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel sign a peace treaty.

1989 (mother now 60 years old) The Tiananmen Square massacre takes place in Beijing on the army's approach to the square, and the final stand-off in the square is covered live on television. March 24 – Exxon Valdez oil spill: In Alaska's Prince William Sound the Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 barrels (11 million gallons) of oil after running aground.

1999 (mother now 70 years old) A Michigan jury finds Dr. Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man. April 20 – Columbine High School massacre: Two Littleton, Colorado teenagers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, open fire on their teachers and classmates, killing 12 students and 1 teacher, and then themselves.

2009 (mother now 80 years old) Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th, and first African-American, President of the United States.

I have just listed a few things listed in the history books from 1929-2009. I'm sure my mother remembers these events. There have been so many things my mother has lived through to shape and mold her life.

The one thing I have not listed however which is the most important historical event in my mother's life is when she gave her life to Jesus. This event changed the course of not only her life but also the life of her family. It was through her and her prayers that my father also eventually gave his life to Jesus. And it was through her and her prayers that all of her children gave their lives to Jesus.

It does not matter what historical events happened in the world. What does matter is that this woman, my mother, listened to a still small voice, calling her, beckoning her, drawing her, to the realization of the love of a Saviour, someone who gave His life so we could all experience the grace and mercy of the God of creation.

I want to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday. I want her to know how much I appreciate her love, her prayers, and her example. I want her to know it is because of her open heart and obedience, I know where my future is regardless of historical events. I want her to know I love her very much.

Thank you Mom!


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