The G.O.A.T!

“Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: ‘Many women have done wonderful things, but you’ve outclassed them all!’” — Proverbs 31:28-29 (The Message)

It always started the same way.

Before the sun was up, before the world started moving, she was already awake. 5:00 AM. I’d hear the quiet rustling in the kitchen, the crackling of eggs in the pan, and the smell of bacon filling the air. She’d start her day before anyone else, making breakfast, cleaning the house, getting my dad out the door, and making sure everything was ready before waking us up.

Then came the chaos—loading up kids, car seats, backpacks, and lunchboxes. Drop-offs, pick-ups, and everything in between. But somehow, in the middle of all that, she still found time to make us feel special. A surprise McDonald’s lunch in the middle of the week. A little treat just because. A warm snack waiting when we walked in the door after school, our rooms cleaned, our beds made.

She worked. Hard.

She had a business, taking care of other people’s kids while raising her own. She checked our homework, cooked dinner, did the laundry, packed 

lunches and prepared the house for the next day. She showed up for school events, field trips, sick days—whatever we needed, she made it happen.

Because all she ever wanted to be was a mom.

And she was the best.

As I’ve gotten older, my heart has softened to all that she carried. The exhaustion, the stress, the moments she probably felt like she had nothing left to give—but she gave anyway. Life hasn’t always been kind to her, but she made sure ours was good.

I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without her.

She prayed for us and prayed with us. She made sure we were in church on Sundays and at youth group on Wednesday nights. Even when I didn’t always understand it, she planted seeds of faith that have changed my life.

And now I get it.

Because when life stripped everything away—when my dad left, our car was repossessed, when we had to move in with my grandparents—she still had Jesus. And He was enough. 

All those years of faithfulness, all the sacrifices, all the prayers—none of it was wasted.

She is a woman whose love is carried in every step I take. Her faith, her strength, and her unwavering devotion to Jesus have shaped me in ways I’m still discovering. She is my example, my foundation, my legacy.

She loved relentlessly, even when it was hard. She showed what real faith looks like—not in perfection, but in perseverance. She never gave up, even when life tried to break her. She kept going, kept praying, kept believing.

So, Mom, when you read this, hold your head high—because the greatest honor, your crown, is knowing your children call you the GOAT.

And there will never be a day that I don’t thank Jesus for the gift of you.

My prayer 

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the gift of a mom who chose You first. A mom who surrendered her life, her burdens, and her children into Your hands. Thank You for every prayer she prayed, for every moment she spent on her knees interceding for her family, for the faith she carried even in the hardest of seasons.

Lord, I know that the love she poured out, the sacrifices she made, and the strength she walked in were not unnoticed by You. You saw her in the early mornings, in the late nights, in the moments she felt unseen. And because of her faithfulness, I am standing here today, forever changed by the seeds she planted in my life.

Now, Father, I ask that You bless her in a way that only You can. Pour back into her everything she has given. Fill her with overwhelming joy, deep peace, and renewed strength. Let her feel the fruit of her faithfulness, knowing that her prayers were never in vain.

Surround her with Your love, refresh her spirit, and remind her that her legacy is not just in the things she did but in the hearts she shaped. She is cherished, honored, and loved—not just by me, but by You.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.