DWYANE WADE GIVES MOM KEYS TO GOD'S KINGDOM

Quotable:"It's the dream of every man, every boy to be able to give their mother everything they want, so that was my dream and that is her dream to, that makes this perfect." Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat


"Today is the crossover,"professed Jolinda Wade. "We're in here today because of God's goodness and God chose to use the heart of my son to do this for us... and he trusts the heart of his mama. Ain't that something?"

And what a big heart he has! Dwyane Wade or "The Flash" as they call him, has surpassed giving his mother the lavish gifts (e.g. cars, houses, clothes, jewelry etc.) most professional athletes shower their mothers with upon raking in the million dollar contracts and endorsements. He's now giving her the keys to the kingdom, God's kingdom. Recently, Wade bestowed a blessing upon his ex inmate/drug dealer/drug addict/ mother by purchasing a church in her name. The 'Temple of Praise' is a place of praise and worship, drawing in the hundreds, filling row for row of pews including notable patrons such as Shaquille O'Neal's mother and Magic Johnson's mother.

Jolinda's journey to being a reborn Christian and Baptist pastor is nothing short of miraculous. Once strung out on drugs, she bounced from jail to prison,essentially leaving behind Tragil, one of her daughters, to raise Dwyane. Tragil recalls the anxiety she felt everytime she heard of someone being found dead in Chicago's abandoned buildings, praying it wasn't her mother. It was in prison that God called to Ms. Wade and she started her first ministry, growing 'Temple of Praise' from just 47 members in a cramped room to hundreds in multi-room building after receiving time served for her participation in a work release program.

"Today is one of the greatest moments in my life." revealed Ms. Wade.

Like the saying goes, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Dwyane Wade began being his humanitarian efforts early in his NBA career, founding his non profit organization, Wayne's World Foundation in his rookie year. Wayne's World holds a week long summer camp for 600 kids and an annual Christmas party for 250 kids at a local amusement park. Wade recently teamed up with Staples to give 18 South Florida communities the chance to compete for $25,000 in improvements to their favorite community park in the "Staples Dream Park Challenge." Voters who entered also were placed in a drawing giving away five Wade autographed jerseys and five chances to meet "The Flash" in person.

Sunday, Dwyane sat in the first pew of his mom's new church home, overcome with emotion. This time crying tears of joy at his mother's accomplishment and his ability to make it happen for her. Wade never turned his back on his mom even when she was between a rock and a hard place.

A true testament to the power of forgiveness and the bond between a mother and a child.

"I respect my mother so much, from the life that she used to live and to see her today in the life that she lives. I'm so proud of her," Dwyane Wade told The Associated Press before the service. "Everybody thinks I'm the miraculous story in the family. I think she is. I think what I've done means I've been very blessed, but she's been more than blessed. She's been anointed."