Did you know today is a holiday around here?
Bet you didn't.
Now you're trying to figure out what the holiday could possibly be, aren't you?
Here's a hint.
Got a guess?
It has been exactly 365 days today since I got to do this:
My Ben. I miss him with an ache that can only be described as sacred.
A year ago, I wrote a post on what it feels like to send a son on a mission, and I echo those feelings today.
How much I miss him.
I miss his silliness and his joy for life. I miss his laugh and his hugs and his listening ear.
And while the ache in my heart is deep, I wouldn't trade these two years for anything.
For the people he is meeting and whose lives he is touching.
Everyone deserves a little Ben in their lives. I'm just lucky enough to be his mom.
Probably my favorite story from his mission is about this couple. You can read about them here.
There is so much to serving a mission. Building character. Learning life skills. Developing a personal testimony of Jesus Christ. Serving and walking and teaching and talking and losing yourself in the process.
The countdown begins in earnest now. In a few weeks, Evie will have her last birthday while he's gone. Then, it will be the last Thanksgiving, the last Christmas, his last birthday, the last phone call . . .
. . . and then he will be home.
If I could talk to him today, I would encourage him through this very discouraging patch he's in. I would tell him it's worth every second. I would share funny stories from home and smooth over all the tough stuff. I would share my own testimony of Jesus Christ and ask to hear his.
Most of all, I would tell him how proud I am of him and tell him to give it his all until the end.
Hurrah.
Hurrah for Israel.
Bet you didn't.
Now you're trying to figure out what the holiday could possibly be, aren't you?
Here's a hint.
A year ago, I wrote a post on what it feels like to send a son on a mission, and I echo those feelings today.
How much I miss him.
For the people he is meeting and whose lives he is touching.
There is so much to serving a mission. Building character. Learning life skills. Developing a personal testimony of Jesus Christ. Serving and walking and teaching and talking and losing yourself in the process.
. . . and then he will be home.
If I could talk to him today, I would encourage him through this very discouraging patch he's in. I would tell him it's worth every second. I would share funny stories from home and smooth over all the tough stuff. I would share my own testimony of Jesus Christ and ask to hear his.
Most of all, I would tell him how proud I am of him and tell him to give it his all until the end.
Hurrah.
Hurrah for Israel.
You always make me cry when I read about your boys and their mission trips. I know how proud you are of Ben and all the feelings that go along with it and how much you must miss him. One year down.....and this next year is going to go super fast!
ReplyDeleteNothing better than being a Missionary Mom! I lived for Mondays when mine were out. Hurrah for Israel!
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ReplyDeleteThis post resonates with me so much. Isn't it odd that you can be so sad and yet so happy that your son or daughter is on a mission? Best hard thing ever.
I clicked over to your son's blog to read and get a better understanding of what life is like for LDS Missionaries. I have a few local missionaries that stop by my place of employment occasionally, and I've seen them out and about, even bought them dinner. I've never been a missionary (plus, I'm a lowly Presbyterian) but I lived abroad alone around the age of missionaries and know how hard it can be. So I have a special place in my heart for them. I must say, I was deeply disturbed by his post about teaching and then "dumping" the Catholic family that decided to not pursue baptism (of YOUR faith. I'm assuming as Catholics they've already been baptized in their chosen religion). I found the post incredibly condescending and cruel. So judgmental towards a family, that he admitted were Spiritual in their own faith, that didn't decide to convert. I can tell your son has a sense of humor, so I don't know if he was trying to be funny, but I truly hope this isn't indicative of the mindset of missionaries when they met with people. Christ taught us to love one another no matter what, and speaking so ill and frankly rude about another Christian family of a different faith is shocking and a message I'm sure he, you as his mom, and your religion as a whole would not want non-LDS members to see.
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