14: Mom — Choosing the Good Portion
Me and Mom!
Logan here.
May 2026 is shaping up to be the single busiest month of my life. At the time of writing this, I have had friends stay overnight for a birthday weekend (happy birthday, Katie!), my brother Hayden and his fiancé Alyssa had a couples’ shower for their upcoming wedding, followed by Mother’s Day lunch for my mom the next day. Gia and I also celebrated our friend getting her Doctorate in PT (way to go, Grace!), then Gia and I had our very first anniversary as a couple. (Gia, I love you, like a lot! I can’t wait for the rest of our lives together!). Finally, to wrap up the month, our family will watch Hayden and Alyssa tie the knot.
Amidst all this activity and logistics is one constant: my mom. Whether she’s keeping her calendar up to date so we know what we’re doing and when, opening up her home to guests, making itineraries, cooking meals, helping buy gifts, or helping make sure outfits match right, she keeps the family running smoothly. May 20th is her birthday, which she also happens to share with my sister-in-law, Kim, who, though wonderful, is not the focus of this post. Sorry, Kim, but happy birthday nonetheless. This month’s edition of Writer on Wheels is dedicated to Martha Garner, a woman whose service-focused life is empowered by her love for her Savior.
If you’ve surfed the pages of this blog for a while (we’ve been up for over a year now, can you believe it, dear reader?), you may remember this piece I wrote about my dad. I polled friends and family to send words and phrases that best described him. Naturally, I conducted a similar survey for Mom, and the responses couldn’t be more spot-on. Here is just a sample:
Faithful to God and others
Sacrificial
Compassionate
Hospitable
True friend
Passionate for her family and the things her husband and sons are passionate about
Generous
Tough and resilient, still remaining tender
Selfless
Comforting
Safe
Fun
Kind-hearted
Sam’s boss
Absolute fire baker
Hilarious
Sassy
Thoughtful
Encourager
Both Mom and Dad have deep personal relationships with the Lord and have fostered that in their kids as well. More than just ensuring we had steady church attendance and participation in church ministries, my parents have always been people who serve. For my dad and all four of us kids, Mom has been steadfast: countless meals made, school lunches packed, drop-offs completed, parties and church events hosted, shopping trips for school clothes, vacations planned out.
Caring for four boys is a weighty calling in and of itself, but when one of those is born with cerebral palsy, that call takes on a different kind of weight. Mom has always been a strong advocate for me. Before I gained confidence to advocate for myself, she came to my kindergarten class, where every student was able-bodied, to share and answer questions about my disability, helping them understand my needs, but that I should be treated with kindness. She was my cheerleader in childhood PT sessions, pushed to make sure I could have accommodations in school, and was an extra set of hands on assignments when they required more than my limited motor function could offer. As I’ve moved into adulthood, she and Dad have spurred me on to greater independence, but is still here providing meals, helping me pick out clothes for each day, and offering words of encouragement when my overthinking pulls me out of focus.
When it comes to Mom, we can be confident we’ll be cared for, no matter where we are or how old we are. She has the gift of hospitality, hosting and feeding people for as long as I can remember. You don’t have to know my mom well to know how gifted she is in the culinary arts. Her desserts are highly revered! Her cooking and baking skills, along with her wisdom as a mom, come from role models like her mother as well as her own lived experience. What motivates Martha Garner, though? What drives her to give so much of her time, talent and treasure to make her family and others feel so loved, so welcome? For that answer, I’ll take you to Scripture.
There’s a story that, no matter how many times I hear it, will typically make me think of Mom. After all, one of its central characters is named Martha!
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:28-42 ESV)
When I read this at a surface-level, I can draw similarities between my mom and the biblical Martha: busy doing for other people, making sure the house is tidy, food is ready, people are comfortable. However, it seems like biblical Martha was focused on making everything appear, smell, and feel just right for Jesus, to earn his approval. She gets consumed in activity, striving after perfection, when, as Mary illustrates, the more important thing is to spend time with the Lord himself, learning from him, the only One to ever be perfect. Have I seen Mom struggle as a perfectionist? Yes, she is human! I can imagine being a wife, mother, friend and host is a taxing responsibility. Yet, she has chosen the good portion because she knows Jesus, she knows how she is loved and how to love people. To this day, the tune and lyrics are cemented in my brain because she sang it to me from a young age. She has prayed for me in my stresses and fears. She constantly reminds me (whether I listen or not) that I am not who or what my shame says I am, but who God says I am. She loves each of her children fiercely, and will drop everything for the chance to spend time with them. Mom’s love is a reflection of the tenderness and steadiness with which God loves. If you have had the opportunity to spend much time with Martha Garner, by stepping into our home, enjoying one of her meals or a sweet treat, you’ve experienced the love of God. Dear reader, before you stop reading, I hope you see this: whether you have a mom as special as mine or not, you have the opportunity to know Jesus yourself! You can be with Him. His presence and his heart is accessible for you in Scripture! Of all the ways you can choose to spend your time each day, Jesus is the good portion. In His own words,
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3 ESV).
Mom, happy week of your birthday, I love you so much! Thank you for choosing the good portion!