I only had five-and-half years with my Mother before she passed away. This was the greatest tragedy of my life, yet God has been so gracious to me and my family that the impact of her loss was overcome by God’s grace.

Rama Viola Biggs was a wonderful mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, niece and grandmother. If you read Proverbs 31, you will get a glimpse of her character.

She is in Heaven now, along with my Dad, three brothers and my half-brother and half-sister. I can’t tell you how much comfort it gives me to know that someday I will rejoin them for eternity.

I honestly have few memories of my Mother. I do know that she expertly handled a household of five sons (each about two years apart). She kept us well fed, did the laundry, made sure we went to school and kept us in church.

She loved her family dearly.

Before she died of cancer in 1959, she made my Father make a promise – that he would not break up our family but keep her boys together. He kept that promise, even though it was so difficult at times.

When she passed, we moved in with my Grandmother and Grandfather, who were retired in their seventies. They had a modest three-bedroom house that got invaded by five brothers, ages 5-13. Their retirement cottage turned into a bit of a madhouse.

Grandma cooked, cleaned, did laundry and mended clothes. She read books to us, got us off to school and made sure we were all in church every Sunday.

We only had three years with Grandma before she passed.

She sacrificed her precious retirement years to care for a needy bunch of Biggs boys.

She, too, loved her family dearly.

In 1963, when our house was just five rambunctious boys and a single Dad, our church family at Tulsa Bible Church took over. God has a way of meeting needs that is special and we owe so much to those Godly families who took under their wing and helped raise us in the admonition of the Lord. The brought us food, bought us winter coats and treated us in many ways like their own children.

There was a lot of unselfish love in that church.

In 1982, I was privileged to become part of the Campbell Clan when I married Susan Campbell. Her parents welcomed me with open arms.

My Mother-in-law Martha Campbell is an exceptional woman. She has such a strong work ethic and that is only matched by her generosity and goodwill. She and George have helped so many people for so many years.

I have tried to study the Campbells to see how to raise kids and live a good Christian life.

The Campbells are retired and in their late eighties. When George had a stroke several years ago, Martha took on the challenge of caring for him without complaint. She meant it when she took those wedding vows. I know George is grateful because he has told me.

Martha just loves our three kids and now our two grandchildren.

This helps explain why Susan is such a good wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend.

Our children love their Mother and for good reason. She is another Proverbs 31 example. Even though they are grown and a little scattered, she prays for them every day. She gives them good advice and tries to help them in almost every aspect of life.

One of my sons has told me several times that his goal in finding a wife was to get someone like his Mother. He meant that.

Susan loves our children, our daughter-in-law (who is a peach), our son-in-law (who is a Godly man) and our grandchildren very, very much.

There’s one more.

Almost three years ago, my daughter Sarah became a mother for the first time. She had my granddaughter Reyma (named after my Mother but spelled a little differently). And last year, she had my grandson Atticus.

Sarah is an outstanding mother. She and her little family live in Mitchell, South Dakota, 670 miles north of Tulsa. We talk on the phone almost every day.

When they visit, I am amazed at what a good mom Sarah is. She has mastered the blend of loving a child and teaching them discipline. That is so important. And she and her husband Josh have managed to have Sarah stay at home to raise those two children. That is an invaluable gift.

And that family is so devoted to our Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s easy to see that Josh and Sarah love those two kids very much.

God chose to bring my Mother home a long time ago. But in His grace, He has surrounded me with many wonderful women who unselfishly pour their hearts and lives into their precious families.

Happy Mother’s Day to all.