The Beauty of a Mother’s Enduring Legacy
Originally conceived in the early 1900s by Anna Jarvis, Mother’s Day was created to honor the sacrifices that mothers make for their children. Jarvis envisioned Mother’s Day as a time of personal celebration between mothers and their families. In today’s busy world, she would likely encourage us to return to the simple act of reflecting on and appreciating the lessons and legacies left by our mothers. In that spirit, we are pleased to share excerpts from a recent conversation Blue Trust had with Christian worship artist, author, and speaker Christy Nockels.
The daughter of a pastor, Christy remembers her mother faithfully serving as a pastor’s wife and bringing her gifts of music, compassion, and warmth to her community. After a brave battle with cancer, her mother passed away in the fall of 2023. With this recent loss, Christy shared her experience navigating the tension between grief and gratitude these last few months.
Ruth Malhotra, manager of strategic partnerships for Blue Trust, and Melanie Allen, client service manager for the Family Office division of Blue Trust, talked with Christy about her mother’s passing and the comfort she takes in remembering a life well lived. When asked about the many lessons she learned from her mother, Christy reflected on the core values that her mother lived in her everyday life.
God is the foundation of everything. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you – Matthew 6:33 (KJV). Christy’s mother lived by a foundational belief that our intrinsic worth comes from God, not other people or what you do. “She didn’t look to the world around her to define who she was,” Christy said. “Through her example, I know that I’m a daughter of God first and part of His unseen kingdom. My worth is not based on the things of this world.”
Serve others in a Christlike way. Christy says that her mother truly believed in being the hands and feet of Jesus. Her mother had a particular gift for noticing the needs of others around her and meeting those practical needs through acts of service. Christy remembers accompanying her mother to take regular meals to a tired and stressed single mother in their congregation. She also remembers how her mother took painstaking measurements to not only hand make an Easter dress for Christy, but also one for another little girl at church who didn’t have a mother at home.
Seek a quiet life. And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody – 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NIV). In our modern society, we understand the concept of ambition. But this New Testament verse uses the word ‘ambition’ to point us toward a way of living. Christy saw her mother embody a spirit of strength, humility, and quiet grace even as she navigated illness and end of life. “She truly believed that each day was a day that the Lord had made and that we should rejoice and be glad in it,” Christy said. “Even faced with hardship, her steadfast trust in the Lord and surrender to His will never wavered.”
Reflecting on the way her mother lived with grace and dignity, even while fighting a battle with cancer, helps Christy focus on the gift of her mother’s legacy while she walks through this time of grief.
This Mother’s Day, we hope you will take inspiration from the mothers in your life and appreciate the power of their legacies. From all of us at Blue Trust, we wish you a happy Mother’s Day!