Tuesdays with Naqvi 4

It's just another Mother's Day Out on a beautiful Tuesday morning, in the comfort of my chemo chair.

I'm catching up on thank-you cards and am almost done with another value experience for my Young Women Personal Progress.  Faith is the value I'm trying to finish by the end of the month, and I think it has been a perfect place to start my study as I've started this journey toward becoming a breast cancer survivor.  There is a ridiculous amount of faith required in this process, a value I am still learning how to understand and live.  

Today I reviewed a story about mothers who not only have great faith, but are able to teach the important value of faith to their children.  There is a story in The Book of Mormon that is often referenced when the topic of strong mothers comes up about 2,000 young men who volunteered to go into battle, taking the place of their fathers--who had sworn an oath to never fight again--having full faith that they would not be harmed.  When asked how they could go to war without fear, even though they were young and had never fought before, they explained that  "they had been taught by their mothers that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them..." and furthermore testified, "we do not doubt our mothers knew it." {Alma 56:45-58}

What amazing young men these must have been!  How I want my own boys to be like them, willing to boldly stand up for truth, to know who they are, to have amazing faith, and to work hard and serve others because of their faith, and to love their mother!  The faith of the young warriors was two-fold:  They had great faith in God, knowing that He would deliver them if they displayed their faith, not doubting.  The young men also had great faith in their mothers' testimonies, not doubting that their mothers had great faith in God, as well.

It's no wonder this story is so inspiring, especially for mothers.  Mothers have such a strong influence on the way their children behave, what and how they learn, their understanding of choices and consequences, the core values learned in early years, the way they view the world, the goals they make, and the overall people they will become.  This is a great responsibility to mothers and also such an amazing blessing.  The mother plays SUCH an important role in the people their children are and become.  Some days I worry about how my lack of being at the top of my game as a mother this year will affect my children.  I try my best, but there are times that I just can't do all that I'm used to doing.  I have faith that God will deliver me AND will deliver my boys through this process.  Besides, if I don't put full energy into getting better, I won't be able to be the mother they need, anyway.  

As a mother, I know that one of my main roles is to nurture, teach, and train my children.  In order to teach my children about faith, I must have faith in my life.  I must have the positive qualities necessary to be a good example for my children to follow.  As a parent, it's crucial that I live as the type of person about whom my children can someday say, "we do not doubt--our mother knows it."

Much like the stripling warrirors, I am in a battle of my own, the battle to overcome cancer.  I need to take the example of these mothers and put my faith in God into practice, knowing that  "if {I do} not doubt, God {will} deliver {me.}  If I can do that, my example will wear off to my boys.  If I live by faith, especially in the time of this current life-changing "battle," my children will learn so much more about faith than in simply just reading or hearing about it.  They will know a little about what it is like and how they can put faith to work in their own lives.  {I already see small glimpses of their faith being put to action, especially after my own example.  A few nights ago, Kyle couldn't find his blanket.  He immediately asked, "Mom, remember that day when you prayed that we could find my blanket and we did?  Can you say that prayer again?"  His faith right now in both me and in the power of prayer and that God answers prayers is so strong.  I hope he always keeps it that way!}

It starts like every journey does--with the first step, and then more steps after that, until the goal is reached.  I know I can do it.  I know my family can do it.  I know the boys can do it, too.  I know  that God can and will deliver me from this battle without being harmed, even though I have never had to fight something like this before. Because I am a strong mother, I can teach my children to make desicions based on truth and to never doubt their mother's faith or that when they rely on The Lord, they will be delivered, unharmed, from all kinds of battles in life.

 Now speaking of a battle I'm not going to win......the Benadryl bag just finished, so I have to give in to nap time.  Fight on, North America and all the Pink Warriors out there!