The Treasures of Patti's Heart

This morning in our women's Bible class, "Treasured In My Heart," Patti led our lesson. Patti usually blogs about the class to share the message to a wider audience. But since she isn't going to blog on herself today, some of us who attended will be blogging in her place. So here's my take on the class. I'm not going to document the class in the detail that Patti usually does, I'll just highlight what was meaningful to me.

Patti's opening point was to "Honor the Differences" in our children. Some of our children may have special needs that differentiate them from their siblings and other children, or it could be different talents and gifts, even different trials. But above all, Patti wants us all to honor those differences and value each child for who they are....as in my last post, I am reminded of Jerry and Lynn Jones' oft quoted line, "Not right, not wrong, just different." This is the point she wanted us to walk away with this morning.

But for me, there were two specific things she spoke about that struck me and resonated with me.

First, we read the scripture passages in Luke that spoke of Mary treasuring in her heart special moments in her son Jesus' life. I remembered when I first read those words in Mary Lea's Bible class years ago, (and she was sitting next to me today!) and it SO humanized Mary to me, not as the mother of the Christ, but as a mother like me. I have treasured so many moments of my children's lives in my heart! I take them out and look at them, hold them, and put them safely back into my heart for the next time I need them. But Patty also talked about sinking into the pit of depression and despair, letting her faith weaken because she thought if God truly loved her, he would make all the suffering in her life instantly disappear, and in the process she let her family down as well as missing the moments from the lives of her precious children that she should have stored as treasures in her heart ...I felt like she was telling MY story. And I have to admit, up to that point, even though I know better to think this way, I was sitting there comparing myself to this all knowing, all wise, super-mommy, and falling so short...until she got to the down and dirty...and I remembered that none of us are perfect, that we only learn through experience, and that even though we all have different experiences, we still share the HUMAN experience. We all fall short of the glory of God. I've been in that pit, I've missed many treasured moments, and I have a hard time forgiving myself for it. Thank you Patti, for being real with us. I know it's hard to stand up in front of so many people and share our weaknesses. But it is so comforting to be in the presence of other women who have walked through, and yet survived the same trials and hardships. It demonstrates that with God, all things are possible.

Patti closed that portion of her talk by saying that it is crucial to the well being of our children and grandchildren for us to take the time to treasure all of those special moments in our hearts, and to treasure them enough for those children and grandchildren to see that they themselves are special to you...no matter what. Thank you Patti.

Patti shared a little of how she and Steve, as different as they are, shared a love for God which grew them into the "one" they are now. She shared how she made a "bargain"with God that she would dedicate her life to special education, but that then God should give her no children with special needs...God had other plans. Each of Patti's four children have special needs. She shared a just little about the hardships each of her children have endured.

This led into the second thing that Patti shared that was impactful to me. Patti believes that the sustaining force in the lives of her children is that each knows their identity lies in Christ. She taught them from a young age the "ABC's of the names of Jesus." She hung them on the refrigerator, and wrote them on the hearts of her children. And she gave them each 2 or 3 of those names to claim for their own so that they would recognize those characteristics of Jesus in themselves. THAT IS SOOOO AWESOME!!! Of course all I could think was, "why couldn't I have known or done that?" I was back in the comparison mode again! But my Christian "birth mother" Mary Lea was sitting right next to me and must have read it all over my face! She knew I needed a hug, and some reassurance. After I dusted myself off, I came up with my own ways of giving my children the gift of the names of Jesus. Thank you again Patti!

And one final note....Patti handed out a sheet listing some of the treasures her children have stored up in their hearts. And next to each name was Patti's song for that child. The song she listed next to her oldest son's name..."You are my sunshine"...it's the SAME song I always rocked my son to sleep to when he was small, and he made me continue sing to and rock him to at bedtime until he was at least six years old! And the song next to her oldest daughter's name..."You are my special angel"...yup, same song I sang and rocked my daughter to for years as well. If I had written what Patti had written, those would have been the EXACT two songs I would have put down. Wow! It was a goose-bump moment, as well as a glimpse of some of my own heart's treasures.

Thank you Patti! You truly blessed me today, and I am quite sure you blessed each woman in the room, and in turn, all of our families.