Here’s Hope: “If I were you, I would have given up on me by now. Somehow you don’t see me as I do, somehow you are still here. You are the God who stays, with wide open arms.” ( “The God Who Stays” by Matthew West )
Bible Reading: Proverbs 31:24-28a “She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions. She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness. Her children stand and bless her.”
Consider This: Being that this weekend, we will celebrate Mother’s Day, I have a story that I would call a gift from God. My Mom passed away in May of 2016 and my Dad is now a resident in an assisted living facility. As I have written recently, we are in the process of selling my parent’s home where I grew up. This past Monday I was there at their house completing the task of removing everything. My family has also been there for me in a huge way, helping to remove 50 years of accumulated possessions. It has been an emotionally and physically challenging job.
This past Monday I thought I was done. Our realtor came by and asked to open up one the storage sheds in the backyard. When I went into the shed, I saw a clipboard and another item that I knew was from my Mom’s drapery business. I hurriedly threw the last 2 items into my car and drove back to Virginia. On Wednesday I began to look at the clipboard and found several handwritten pieces of paper. I knew it was my Mom’s handwriting, I could just tell, I recognized that script as her’s. Two of the pieces of paper were recipes, both were for a type of fudge my Mom always made for her family and friends at Christmas time. Numerous times since my Mom has passed away, I have heard our own children say, “I wish we had some of NanNa’s fudge.” However we thought, we really don’t know how she made it, it was kind of a secret, so we will only have to remember and be thankful for those tasty morsels. I can’t begin to tell you the wave of emotion I felt when I found those recipes. It was like my Mom was saying, here you go, even though I am not physically with you, here is a part of how I showed love to my family, and you can continue to remember that I will always love you.
They say we often base our concept about who God is in a formative way by our relationship with our parents. Their capacity to love and care for us, their children, is a partial reflection of the nature of God, namely his unconditional love. This weekend as we approach Mother’s Day, I hope you are grateful for the person who helped to give you the gift of life. She is so special, and her love, like God’s never seems to end. Thank you Mom, we love you.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you that the creation of the family was your idea. Your Word, the Bible, reminds us that from the beginning of creation, that we are loved with your everlasting love which you demonstrate through our families. Thank you especially for this weekend as we give thanks for our mothers. May you bless them richly for how they reflect your love to us, your children. Amen.