Words From The Warden
Mother's Day
On Mother’s Day, we honor the women who nurtured us, raised us, believed in us, and wished for our lives to be full of joy and wonder.
Kim’s mom, Dixie, passed away in January 2025, and my mom, Oletha, passed away in December 2021. We miss them terribly, and I know many of you are grieving the loss of your own mothers. I also know that many of you are mothers and grandmothers who love your children and grandchildren fiercely. Proverbs 31 highlights the strength, wisdom, kindness and honored status of a mother.
On Friday, May 5, 1995, I landed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport around 11:00 a.m. I was assigned to officiate the NFL Europe game between the Amsterdam Admirals and the Rhein Fire the following day.
After arriving, I made my way into the city and to our hotel:
I took the first available train into Amsterdam.
Our officiating team was staying at the Holiday Inn Hotel in the heart of the city.
I got off the train and walked two blocks to the hotel.
It struck me as odd that so few people were out and about. After I checked in, I decided to walk around the area. I soon entered a huge open space where a festival was underway—and it was packed.
I stopped near the front of a stage where performers were singing. When the song ended, a young man stepped to the edge of the stage and spoke to me in Dutch, which I didn’t understand. I replied, “Ich spreche ein bischen Deutsch. Ich bin Amerikaner.” (Translation: I speak a little bit of German. I am American.)
At that, he jumped down from the stage, grabbed me, hugged me, and said in perfect English, “Thank you for coming to celebrate Liberation Day with us!” Why May 5 Matters. I had arrived in Amsterdam on the 50thanniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. To this day, May 5 is observed as a celebration of freedom after the brutal Nazi occupation.
On May 6, the Amsterdam Admirals hosted the Rhein Fire. It was a beautiful day in the historic Olympisch Stadion, built in 1928 for the Summer Olympics. Coach Al Luginbill led the Admirals to a 30–10 victory over the Fire, coached by Galen Hall.
Officiating NFL Europe games was fantastic—and the travel routine became part of the experience. A typical trip looked like this:
Arrive in the host city the day before the game.
After the game, spend the evening and the following day working with NFL supervisors.
Use the next two days to sightsee before moving on to the next city.
Arrive two to three days before the next game, explore the sights, officiate, and then fly home the day after.
We took two trips like this each season.
After experiencing the excitement of Liberation Day—and the fun of officiating in the Olympisch Stadion—I decided to take a few tours.
Over the next two days, I explored the city in two very different ways:
A canal-boat tour that passed the building where Anne Frank and her family hid.
A bus tour with Canadian military veterans—men who fought across Europe in 1944 and 1945 and helped free the residents of Holland from Nazi occupation.
One veteran told me Holland was far more beautiful than the last time he visited—50 years earlier. Another said he never thought he would want to return.
All across Holland, you can find cemeteries that hold the young lives lost during World War II. There are 7,600 Canadians buried in the Netherlands.
All of this brings me back to Mother’s Day. We celebrate the love of mothers—and we also remember the grief carried by mothers who have lost a child.
As you think about the cemeteries across Holland, consider the sorrow of the mothers of those who fell:
Canadian soldiers, and the Polish, Scottish, British, and American allies who died in the war.
German mothers who also mourned the loss of their sons.
Can you imagine the deep love they had for their children—and the heartbreak of never seeing them again? Can you imagine the hopes each woman held for her child, only for those hopes to go unfulfilled?
Scripture speaks to that kind of sorrow. Psalm 34 reminds us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted—yet in the darkest moments, it can be hard to feel that closeness. And in Matthew 5:4 we are reminded, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Today, as we honor mothers and grandmothers, let us also make room for those who mourn—and seek the comfort God promises.
Peace,
Henry Zaborniak, Senior Warden