A Tribute To My Mother

Topic: Life Lessons

A LESSON ON OVERCOMING FEAR

My mother was one of 5 girls born into an Italian/Roman Catholic family. In August of 1979, the family experienced a tragedy that forever changed their lives and their kids’ lives, including mine. My grandmother (mom's mom) and my Aunt (mom's sister, Pat) were hit by a drunk driver on Interstate 80, while traveling from New York to New Castle for a wedding. But it was not just any wedding. My Aunt was the mother of the bride. My mom ended up getting a phone call in the middle of the night letting her know the terrible news, that both her mother and sister were killed in a car accident. Grandma Lena was 62 and Aunt Pat was 41. I can't even imagine how that must have felt for my mom and her other 3 sisters, not to mention her sister’s kids.

Her sister Pat had three kids, and they were young. Those of you who have lost a loved one know how hard that is, and to have it be a sudden tragedy and not losing just one, but two people, that’s more pain and hurt than I can comprehend. That weekend, instead of having a wedding, they ended up having a double funeral. Devastating, isn't it?

So my mom was never big on driving after that. She used to get nervous when we were on the highway passing a semi-truck. (It was a semi-truck driver who killed her mom and sister, thus the fear). Lesson 1: Don't drink and drive, but that's kind of a given. Just imagine how that was beat into my head growing up.

Flash forward to April 1995. I'm almost 16 and I CAN'T WAIT to drive a car! Freedom!! I remember feeling a level of independence like nothing else I had ever felt before. Of course there was that first time I tried driving to my dad's plastic shop by myself and suddenly realized I had no idea how to get there, even though it was only about 10 minutes from my house. My sense of direction is pretty much non existent. I would not be able to get anywhere without my GPS.... but I digress. Back to the story.

Getting a driver's license was a little bit easier back then. All you had to do was complete a written test to get a permit and there was no requirement on practice hours before you could take the test to become an official licensed driver. All that being said, 3 weeks after my 16th birthday, I was officially a licensed driver.

Now imagine how my mom must have felt. Her only child now has a driver's license, has no idea how to get anywhere, but can't wait to drive. Can you feel the fear yet? When I think of my own girls being able to drive someday, my stomach starts turning.

Here is the good news: When I was about 12 years old, my mom started going to a bible study at one of her sister's houses and started learning about the power of your words and about the power of prayer. She started learning how to apply the Bible to her daily life and how to use it to overcome any challenge that life could send her way. So by the time I was 16 and able to drive, she was prepared. She had memorized Psalm 91 completely, and it's a long Psalm! I will post it at the end for your reference.

Every single time I left the house, she would follow me out to the driveway, raise her hand in the air, and speak Psalm 91 over me and my car. It didn’t matter what the weather was like. It didn’t matter how cold it was or if it was pouring down rain. She still came out to the driveway and prayed that Psalm over me. At the time, I really didn't get it. I honestly thought she was a little crazy, and I remember being embarrassed when she would do it in front of my friends, but she still did it....every....single....time I left the house. And she would tell you that it was the only way she overcame the fear of her only daughter being able to drive.

When I went to college at Penn State, I traveled the same route on I-80 that her mother and sister traveled the night they were killed. I passed the same exit where they were found, one of them already dead and the other in critical condition, every time I went back and forth to school. I'm sure she FELT fear each and every time I got in the car to make that trip, but guess what she did? She applied what she learned and she prayed:

---

Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,

10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

---

I am so thankful that my mother stood in the gap for me when I was just a stupid, reckless kid. I have no doubt that these words spoken over me protected me, guided me, and ultimately led me to Jesus.

My mother passed away at the end of June last summer, somewhat suddenly and unexpectedly. The magnitude of the loss didn’t really hit me until this year, and as I travel this journey of grief recovery, I felt led to share this story about her.

Shortly after she died, a great friend of hers sent me a beautiful canvas in the mail with Psalm 91 written on it. I wasn’t even able to look at it until recently, but when I undecorated from Christmas and rearranged my living room, I was able to put the canvas up. Now it brings me comfort because it’s a constant reminder of her and the valuable lessons that she taught me.

A great resource for anyone struggling with loss:

Griefshare Link

Helpful Scriptures:

Matthew 5:4 - Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Psalm 34:18 - The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 16:1 - Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.

---

Follow Me on Social Media:

• Truth Social: Toni Shuppe on TruthSocial

• Gab: Toni Shuppe on Gab

• Telegram: Toni Shuppe on Telegram

• Facebook: Toni Shuppe on Facebook

• Instagram: Toni Shuppe on Instagram