We Love You Mom!
We might come from different backgrounds, different generations, different parts of the country or the world, and we might have a lot of things that differ in our upbringing, but we have one thing in common. We all had a mom. Let me make sure to be inclusive–we all had a mom of some kind. Without that, we would not be reading this today. Most of us had moms that were present and active in our lives past just the fact of giving birth to us. If your mom is still in your life, alive on the earth today, I just want to encourage you to make sure you contact her and let her know that you are grateful to her for your life. Treat her Sunday to some time with you, or maybe some time for herself. Lavish her with your praise and love, and if you are not physically near her, be sure to call her, send her a card or flowers. Let her know that you value her love and sacrifices and that she is highly esteemed. Being a mother is not an easy job, but it is a high calling. So honor those moms and thank God that you have had a woman who loved you.
For those of us that don’t have our moms with us in this life, remember the sweet times that you had with her. I remember my mom always being there for me as I grew up. I remember her making peanut butter cookies and she and I ate so much raw dough that we both got sick. (I still don’t like peanut butter cookies today…unless they are drenched in chocolate.) I remember her always getting us up and out the door so we could walk to school (for 7 miles uphill in the snow…now, you know that’s not true in Pasadena, Texas). But I remember always having a birthday cake, homemade of course. I remember Easter Sundays when we all had to put on our best, which she bought for us, and have our picture made out by the rose bushes in the front yard. Why is it that our parents made us take pictures in the yard next to some tree or bush? Anyhow, I remember her taking me to get my driver’s license and then trying to convince me that I didn’t need to drive to school that day. (That didn’t work of course.) I remember hot fudge chocolate pie with ice cream on top. I remember her picking me up from school and taking me to the emergency room several times. I guess I was a bit clumsy. But she did so much to make the house a home. She had her quirks too, like the only time we could go in the living room was for Christmas and when the Avon Lady came. The couches were cloth with clear plastic on them and you didn’t dare go in there and play or sit on those couches unless it was a special time. I remember my clothes were always clean and the house was usually spotless. So many memories, lots of good times. There was much sacrifice for this brat growing up and I also got my share of spankings, even thought I know full well that each one was for my good and I deserved 99% of them. Perhaps you have similar memories…I’m sure you do.
There’s another group of people who may be reading this and you did not have a great relationship with your mom. Perhaps your mom was missing, whether she was never in your life or she left early, or she died when you were young. Perhaps, even harder, there’s a mom wound in that she was not the best “mother” to you past merely giving birth to you. To you I would say, God has most likely provided you with someone who took that place. Maybe it was a grandmother or grandfather, maybe your father had to be both parents. Maybe you had an auntie or sister who raised you or looked out for you in a motherly way. God has a way of providing us with the people we need when someone important like a mom is missing or unable to be what they should. I would encourage you to reach out to them if they are alive, whatever their title is, and thank them for being “like a mom” to you. Celebrate them. Honor them. If they are no longer living, point that gratitude to God for providing what He knew you needed in His grace and goodness. Then, in return, try to be someone like that to a child or a young person around you that you can see needs godly love, discipline, care, and nurturing. There are plenty of people in the world who were changed forever through the care and love of someone who acted as a parent in the place of missing parents. Let’s honor that and let’s choose to be that person when we can.
We are living in a day when the womb is not the safest place for a baby. There have been strides made toward regaining an understanding of the value and sanctity of human life, but there are still large segments of our society that have a twisted and distorted view of human life and because of that, they see pregnancy as a burden or a problem that can be solved by eradication. If the baby is wanted it’s called a baby, if the baby is not wanted it is called a blob or a fetus or some other term that distances the idea that this is another human being that was created by the hand of God. Many believe that God is out of the picture when it comes to the meeting of the sperm and the egg; they believe God does not or cannot alter biology. How far from the truth! God is the Author of biology and the engineering of a cell is something science still cannot fully explain. We understand that certain mechanisms, certain signals have to occur or get switched on in order for cells that are dividing to know when to become skin, or part of a nerve, or an eyeball or hair, but we cannot fully understand everything about how DNA programs that kind of development. Who decides when to flip these cell “switches”? Gee I wonder… You see, each pregnancy is a miracle from God.
If you are reading this and you have gone through an abortion or termination of pregnancy, I would want you to know that there is no condemnation from me. That is farthest thing from my intent. This is a devastating experience for most women and not something to be taken lightly at all. It is my hope and prayer that if this is you, you will find grace at the foot of the cross, find acceptance and fellowship in the congregation of believers around you, and that if need be, you would get the help and healing that counseling or talking about it with others can bring. Without the resolution to that trauma, Satan will use an event such as this in your life to beat you up psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. Hear the truth from your pastor. God still loves you. He values your life and what He wants to do with it is not tainted by your past. There is forgiveness and healing with your loving Father and Jesus already has taken care of the debt for all of us. Allow yourself to heal and be whole again. Draw near to God, receive His forgiveness and let the love of others in to your heart.
Remember this Sunday to show your gratitude for your mom or that special person who raised and nurtured you! Without them, our lives would be poorer if not nonexistent.
See you Sunday!
Bro.D
