One of God's greatest gifts on this earth is the love, care, and devotion of a mother. Out of all 18 years of my life, I feel that this past year has been the most important one of my discovery of such a love. Of course, I always knew my mother worked hard to take care of me and she loved me dearly. However, these past few months, as I prepare to embark on the next journey of my life, I've learned just how much my mother really cares for me and will miss me. Since I'm about to leave for college, the last few months have been especially sentimental for me, so I've tried to grow closer to her and spend more time with her since I won't be there to wait for her to come home anymore. I won't be able to feel her hugs of encouragement since I'll be so far away. I won't be able to sit with her for prayer or Bible readings anymore. All of these things and more have held a lot more value to me the more I think about how I took these daily activities for granted over the years.

One day, I had come across some of her prayers that she keeps in a small prayer basket: little notecards and post-it notes with small prayers and Bible verses on them for times in need. Reading some of her little prayer cards, I immediately burst into tears. She had so many prayers for friends, family, coworkers, church members, and even random people she encountered and spoke with. She had a few prayers about me and asking God to protect me and help me get through the last few months of school, which had been an extremely stressful and difficult time for me. There were prayers asking for help with finances, help with her job, and various other matters and personal issues.

What made me cry so much that day was the love and care I saw in those prayers. My mother is a very devout Christian, and she is always praying for others, oftentimes more than she even prays for herself. Reading those small prayers made me realize how much she truly tried to show love for others. Even those who didn't know her, those who have come and gone in her life, and those who hurt her or were spiteful against her-no matter who these people were, she still continued to pray and look out for others.

I've seen my mother's love and care even when we are out. Always "sowing seeds" -- giving money to those in need to help toward a cause like children, education, bills, or whatever other financial situation the person is going through, praying with people, giving her last to help people even when she only had a few dollars left for gas. Staying up to help people, driving them wherever they needed to go, talking to them on the phone when they called, even when she was exhausted and hadn't eaten all day or slept.

Especially in my personal life, the sacrifices my mother made for me are countless. She always tried her best to provide for me and my grandmother. She always put up with my attitudes toward chores, my stress with school, and was always there to comfort me when I had emotional breakdowns.

The moment of finally leaving home is approaching quickly and while I'm thrilled to finally see the world for myself, I am still broken up about leaving my mother. But I know she will stay just as strong as she has all this time, and I know she'll still be there praying for me, calling me, and comforting me when I need it most. I feel immensely blessed to receive such love from someone who truly shows the love and care of Christ. Mom, thank you so much for loving me and for all that you've done. I love you so much.