I Am My Mother

Here’s a beautiful summertime hymn I used to sing with my mother. It goes like this…

Brightly beams a father’s mercy from His lighthouse evermore
But to us He gives the keeping of the lights along the shore
Let the lower lights keep burning; send a beam across the wave
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman you may rescue, you may save

Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I saw my mother yesterday.

I guess I better explain that statement right now because you probably know that my mother, Lindy Eareckson, she passed away back in 2001, years ago. But yesterday I saw her. You see, my cousin Eddie had sent me an email with seven or eight old family photos, and one of them was my mom standing by her bicycle. I’d never seen this one before. She had turned to smile at the camera, and looking at her face, seeing that smile, oh my goodness, it was me. She looked just like me or, I should say I looked just like her! And then when we turned the photo over and saw that the date was 1940 on the photo, I realized that Mom was only 26 years old. So I guess I can’t really say I look exactly like her, not now at my age. But still, it gave me a start. It also gave me a great chance to reply to Eddie to share some of my favorite memories of Lindy Eareckson.

My Mom was my first tennis teacher. But when I walked on the clay court in my cut-offs and crop-top blouse, holding my tennis racket, Lindy told me in no uncertain terms that, “The next time you walked onto the court, young woman, be dressed in proper tennis garb: white blouse, white tennis skirt, white tennis shoes.” I thought at the time that was so dumb. But it was just one small way my mother instilled discipline into my life, and I liked that about her. I liked that she was orderly and tidy, and insisted that when I stacked towels, only the folded edge must show. But it wasn’t just this kind of discipline. Lindy always challenged me in memorizing hymns. She loved the old Lutheran hymns, and I scrambled to keep up with all her verses when the family would sing together, especially around our campfire on the beach. Or we would sing around the table after dinner or always, always, we would sing in the car going on a road trip. Mom reminds me of Deuteronomy Chapter 11, verse 19 where it says, “Teach [God’s commands] to your children. Talk about them when you’re at home and when you’re on the road, when you’re going to bed, and when you’re getting up.”

And I could add to that verse, when you sing together. Teach God’s ways when you sing with your children. Hey, I’d love for you to see that photo of my mom, and while you’re at it, pick up a copy of one of her best recipes, her Maryland crab cakes. It’s all there for you at joniandfriends.org/radio and you know what? I will also put up the words to this old hymn, “Let the Lower Lights Be Burning.” I would often sing it with my mom around the beach campfire. So, see that photo today and pick up the recipe. Just visit us at joniandfriends.org/radio. Again, it’s there for you at joniandfriends.org/radio. God bless you friends and keep singing God’s commands.

Music: Let the Lower Lights Be Burning by Philip Paul Bliss, Public Domain

© Joni and Friends