Obedience Is the Key

Mother and Daughter

0il on hardboard painting by Natalia Tejera




You are your child's keeper until she's mature enough to keep herself.

- Laura Ramirez, in Keepers of the Children




Who then is the faithful and wise servant,
whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household
to give them their food at the proper time?
It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so
when he returns.
Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

-Matthew 24:45-48




And let us not grow weary while doing good,
for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

- Galatians 6:9

Today is Obedient One's birthday.

Obedient One is my youngest child, and my only daughter. She was born twenty-six years ago today.

One of the greatest joys that a mother can ever have is to see her children grow up into fine and mature individuals - learning from their mistakes, capable of making wise decisions, and able to weather the storms that come their way.

I have made it a point to be with Obedient One on her birthday ever since she moved away from her hometown to work in the big metropolis of Manila almost almost five years ago.

But this year I have opted not to leave Bacolod City because of the birth of my new grandson three weeks ago. Worshiper and Chosen One live with me, and I wanted to be available... to help, encourage and support them as they enter this new season of their life.

When I woke up early this morning to pray for my daughter, the words of Scripture quoted above came to my mind.

Truly this dear daughter of mine has been such a joy to my heart... for she is an obedient girl.

Obedient...faithful...wise...trustworthy.

She doesn't make hasty decisions - she thinks about them, weighing the pros and the cons carefully, praying and asking God for guidance, considers the consequences.

In her growing up years, she always wanted to obey her parents. She has not given us heartaches, and she has not done anything that would be a disgrace to us.

She is a woman of great intelligence and many abilities, but she has remained simple and unaffected all these years.

She has inner strength.

I am encouraged by her kindness and generosity.

Obedient One is a giver.

There are many beautiful and precious stories about this dear daughter that are tucked in my heart...

There are a few I have written on this blog...three of which I would love to share with you today. May I invite you to have a glimpse into my heart for my daughter by clicking on any of these three blog entries:

It Will Take Forever

Another Good-bye

To My Daughter: If I Could


My dear daughter, my Obedient One,

I bless you today dear daughter with divine connections and open doors of opportunity.

As I write these words, it is 5:46 a.m. and the morning songbird has just come to my bedroom window - singing its usual morning song, a message of hope.

I remember how you loved to hear this bird every morning!

So faithfully gracing our lives by its simple cheerful song...just like you.

You have graced and brought a song to my life by what you are.

May God reward you for your obedience and your faithfulness.

Truly you are a trustworthy young woman... and you have known first hand the value of delayed gratification. You are not impulsive, yet you do not withhold good when it it is in your power to give it!

Therefore, I have seen with my eyes how God is promoting you...letting you reach new territories even though you may not be aware of it.

But in due time He will open your eyes to see how far you have gone.

Remember this, obedience is the key to great reward.

Your obedient heart is paving the way for God to promote you and draw you closer to His heart.

You are a wise and faithful servant... God is honored because you fear Him, and you are careful with your words and your actions!

For a young girl like you, living in a huge city, you have kept yourself pure and untainted by the evil that surrounds you.

I have kept praying for God's hedge of protection to be with you every minute of the day, and God has heard my prayer.

May God continue to teach you the many wonderful lessons that He has in store for you...

I am proud of you, and I believe that you are accomplishing the things that God has created you for, one step at a time.

Not many mothers are blessed to have a daughter like you...so I thank God for giving me the joy and the privilege and honor of raising you.

Thank you for the love you have shown me, your brothers, your sisters in law, and your nephews!


With much love always,
Mama

Obedient One with her mini schnauzer, George
taken on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2009

This is me with my three precious daughters - one mine by birth, and two by marriage to my sons - Chosen One, me, God-given, and Obedient One
taken on December 26, 2009

Obedient One and me on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1009