Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
*** I wrote the following devotional in 1996. I am pulling it out to honor not only my mother but all mothers today.
Mothers. Where would we be without them?
I guess we could jokingly say that we wouldn't be here if it weren't for them, for they had the anatomical pleasure of going through that nine month metamorphosis we more commonly know as pregnancy. Have you ever thought of the sacrifices a mother makes even before a child is born? The morning sickness, changes in diet and body shape, numerous trips to the doctor to ensure all is progressing well, and all the planning and preparation for our arrival into the world. We often tend to forget about the readiness that took place before our birth.
Sure, Dad had a stake in the whole process as well, but seriously folks....who was picking out the drapes, the blankets, the outfits, etc...so the baby would look adorable and presentable…like the most, beautiful baby on earth? Mom...that's who.
Face it guys, we have a brief moment to get the conception train rolling, but ladies handle the rest unless we start to talk about demanding duties such as assembling the crib, the stroller, or the walker. We could even talk about a man’s penchant for driving like a veteran NASCAR star when it comes to getting the wife to the hospital. Frankly, these pale in comparison to having a living, breathing child within you…a child who brings out the best (and sometimes worst) in the soon-to-be mom as she goes through delivery. And it’s during delivery that a mother makes her greatest sacrifice, bearing great pain and physical strife to bring not just their child but God’s child into the world. Oh, the love of a mother.
Upon our birth, we enter a world, strange and foreign. Our existence depends on the care given us by our parents. We are fed, nurtured, loved tenderly, taught to walk, to talk, to know the difference between right and wrong, hopefully to know how to say a prayer where we come to know God. We certainly would go nowhere after birth without the guidance and instruction of Mom and Dad.
And although both parents are involved in this process, the mother has that extra special bond with her child. Somehow, a mysterious connection is made during a pregnancy that draws the mother and child together in a way that transcends reason...something far beyond a physical connection. This link is almost spiritual in a sense. A mother seems to have that ability to hold you just the right way, to give you that sense of security and safety. Again guys, how many times has junior just been screaming his or her little head off and nothing seems to please him or her enough to get them to stop. But just hand the child to mom and immediately........almost automatically ... mysteriously, dare I say magically....the child stops crying. Ever happen to you? I just have two questions ladies...how do you do it? I’m convinced that the answer can be found in their unique connection to the baby....that bond…that special love. Oh the love of a mother.
As we grow, we tend to more and more gain our independence. We go to school...we develop relationships outside the home and apart from our parents...we learn to exist on our own, apart from our mother and father. But even though we may have learned a lot about branching out into the brave new world we saw outside the home, we were too often slow in developing independent living skills around the house. Our rooms often were hazardous zones to enter into, we rarely picked up after ourselves, we left a lot of dirty dishes in the sink (confident I think that they would clean themselves and be back in the cupboard in the morning). All along, our moms worked very hard cleaning up our messes…cooking for us…doing our laundry…taking care of us so we could experience that place which we learned to call "home". Question: How often did we take the time to say thanks then?
Probably not near enough. That's why I feel that in this hectic world in which we live, it's a real blessing to have a day to remind us of our mothers. For their job is too often a thankless one and we don't realize it fully until we've moved away and mom isn't there anymore. Or maybe we gain our own experience of having a child or two. Then, we definitely start to relate to what our parents went through and appreciate all that our mother did for us. Oh, the love of a mother.
The more I think about mothers, I can’t help but think of Jesus as well for they have a lot in common. Let me explain..................
You see just as our mothers endured pain and suffering to deliver us into this world, so Jesus endured the pain of being nailed to the cross, suffering a slow, agonizing death so that we might find our salvation. Mom delivered us into the world, but Jesus delivered us from that point forward...not just to life but life eternal.
And just as we moved away from home, we too often move away from Jesus. We sometimes come to realize a spiritual independence and begin to live like we can do it without Him. And we too soon discover that just as we found it was hard to live without mom taking care of us, we learn that’s it’s impossible for us to live without Jesus.
Just as we don’t show enough gratitude to our mothers we sometimes don't take the time to stop and give the Jesus thanks as well. He blesses us so much and too often gets nothing in return. I've come to learn from experience, that just as we didn’t appreciate our mothers until we moved away, so too do we fail to fully appreciate Christ and all He does for us until we try to live without Him. The good news for me and I'm sure countless others as well is that Jesus had left the key under the mat so I could come back home. I give thanks daily for that. The Lord's love is so great that he will never turn his back on you, even if you do on him. Is there a greater love than that?
And just as our mothers nurtured and fed us to help us grow, so does our Jesus. Through the study of how Jesus lived as found in the Gospels, we satisfy a different brand of hunger, a need for direction as to how we should conduct ourselves in a world just as indifferent as the Israel that Jesus walked. He is the ultimate role model, a blinding ray of light in a dark world. He is a security blanket for each of us. Just as we found a special comfort physically in Mom, we find that same peace and serenity spiritually through Jesus Christ who one day we’ll reside with.
Although we are distant from our heavenly home, our faith in Jesus works to bridge the gap and bring us closer to our Savior. Asked to give the greatest commandment, Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." If we’re not sure how to do that, we need look no further than our mothers and Jesus and the way they have loved us. For when I think of Mom, I see that Jesus placed in her a special love...a part of Himself.
Truly, we’re blessed with the love of a mother, and the love of Jesus....a love like no other.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
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