Today is my Mom’s 80th birthday. Her courage in caring for my Dad through cancer reveals her reliance on prayer and dedication to serving. Mom is one of the most persevering people I know. She holds two masters degrees, was a college professor, as well as a rehabilitation counselor. She worked the kitchens at NBC Camps for fifteen years, and I witnessed her work ethic. She would wake up early, around 4 am, and cook all summer in the kitchen, making meals for coaches, campers, and parents. She prepared over 300 pieces of chicken for the parent buffet every Saturday. My Mom prayed daily for NBC. She would walk around the Silver Lake campus and pray for everyone.

My Mom is tiny but mighty. One day on the way to camp, the bus my Dad rented broke down on Sunset Hill. They had hundreds of dollars worth of frozen food packed on the bus. Carload after carload, my parents rushed to save the frozen food. My Mom carried this food into storage by herself while my Dad watched and waited with the bus for the repairman to arrive.

Though Dad started the dream of NBC Camps, it was my Mom’s servant heart at the center of the camp. Her prayers, vigilance, sweat, and tears helped this dream grow. They made a great partnership together. Recently, Mom was able to sell her home, which would have been too much for her without Dad. Her new house is a direct blessing and exactly what my Dad would have wanted her to have. The other night, we sat in her living room to innumerate all the features of her new home my Dad would have loved. We cried with gratitude, knowing that though Mom and Dad are separated in person, they are not separated in spirit by the power of God.

Happy Birthday Mom, you are strong in the Lord, and Dad is with you.

“An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not harm, all the days of her life.” – Proverbs 31:10-12

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