I’ll be calling my Mom later today to wish her a happy Mother’s day. “Every day is Mother’s Day,” she’ll reply, reminding me that moms need to be treated with respect and love every day of the year.
She’s got a point. One day of special attention will never make up for three hundred and sixty-four days of neglect.
Mothers have always been valued by God. The fifth commandment tells us to honour them. In the book of Proverbs a man who despises his mother is called “foolish.” And in Isaiah God goes so far as to compare his comfort with the comfort a mother gives to her child.
Mothers don’t have it easy. Talk to a mom with a newborn and she’ll tell you about sleep-interrupted nights. Talk to a mother of school aged children and she’ll tell you about her multiple roles as cab driver, craft designer and cook, not to mention her duties as nurse, dietician, psychologist, disciplinarian and cheerleader. Talk to a mother of teenagers and she’ll tell you about hormones, mood swings, and lack of appreciation. Talk to a mother of adult children and she might joke that “parenting is a life sentence,” as one of our good-humoured friends likes to say.
Every good Mom is supportive of her children. You see that in the Old Testament story of Hagar who found a wife for her son, Ishmael, in Egypt. And you see that in the New Testament story of Zebedee’s wife who asked Jesus to give her two sons, James and John, a place of honour in his kingdom.
My own Mom has always been supportive, even when I took on challenges that made her question my sanity. Drive a ’58 Chevy with four bald tires from Toronto to Edmonton at age 17 to pursue a girl? Go for it. Marry four days after your 19th birthday? Because it’s Marja, you have our blessing. Adopt children and become a racially diverse family? We’ll treat them like our own flesh and blood. Take the call to Hope Fellowship in Courtice when you could move to a nearby church in B.C.’s lower mainland? As long as you’re serving the Lord, we’re happy.
Today, at age 87, my mother is a breast cancer survivor whose feet have become so sensitive from her chemo treatments that she can no longer go to the gym for her daily workout. But she continues to advocate for our health, often reminding us to “Stay active.” Obeying her is half the reason why Marja and I have not hung up our running shoes or parked our bicycles!
As for her legacy, she always told my siblings and me that she loves us but loves Dad in a special way. This made us feel very secure. It also inspired all five of us to leap into marriage before we turned twenty. I also remember her advice to be more decisive and less defensive in our parenting. “Don’t talk so much, trying to get your children to understand all your reasons for every decision. You are the parent!”
I especially love the way she way she is thankful for every little thing. Give her a kitchen gadget, and she’ll mention how helpful it is every time you call. Give her a large outdoor thermometer, and twenty years later she’ll tell you how much she still appreciates it every time she looks outside to check the temperature.
If your Mom has passed away, I wish you wonderful memories and God’s comfort. If your Mom is still alive, find a way to let her know that you thank God for her every day of the year, not just on Mother’s Day.
- Pastor Peter
She’s got a point. One day of special attention will never make up for three hundred and sixty-four days of neglect.
Mothers have always been valued by God. The fifth commandment tells us to honour them. In the book of Proverbs a man who despises his mother is called “foolish.” And in Isaiah God goes so far as to compare his comfort with the comfort a mother gives to her child.
Mothers don’t have it easy. Talk to a mom with a newborn and she’ll tell you about sleep-interrupted nights. Talk to a mother of school aged children and she’ll tell you about her multiple roles as cab driver, craft designer and cook, not to mention her duties as nurse, dietician, psychologist, disciplinarian and cheerleader. Talk to a mother of teenagers and she’ll tell you about hormones, mood swings, and lack of appreciation. Talk to a mother of adult children and she might joke that “parenting is a life sentence,” as one of our good-humoured friends likes to say.
Every good Mom is supportive of her children. You see that in the Old Testament story of Hagar who found a wife for her son, Ishmael, in Egypt. And you see that in the New Testament story of Zebedee’s wife who asked Jesus to give her two sons, James and John, a place of honour in his kingdom.
My own Mom has always been supportive, even when I took on challenges that made her question my sanity. Drive a ’58 Chevy with four bald tires from Toronto to Edmonton at age 17 to pursue a girl? Go for it. Marry four days after your 19th birthday? Because it’s Marja, you have our blessing. Adopt children and become a racially diverse family? We’ll treat them like our own flesh and blood. Take the call to Hope Fellowship in Courtice when you could move to a nearby church in B.C.’s lower mainland? As long as you’re serving the Lord, we’re happy.
Today, at age 87, my mother is a breast cancer survivor whose feet have become so sensitive from her chemo treatments that she can no longer go to the gym for her daily workout. But she continues to advocate for our health, often reminding us to “Stay active.” Obeying her is half the reason why Marja and I have not hung up our running shoes or parked our bicycles!
As for her legacy, she always told my siblings and me that she loves us but loves Dad in a special way. This made us feel very secure. It also inspired all five of us to leap into marriage before we turned twenty. I also remember her advice to be more decisive and less defensive in our parenting. “Don’t talk so much, trying to get your children to understand all your reasons for every decision. You are the parent!”
I especially love the way she way she is thankful for every little thing. Give her a kitchen gadget, and she’ll mention how helpful it is every time you call. Give her a large outdoor thermometer, and twenty years later she’ll tell you how much she still appreciates it every time she looks outside to check the temperature.
If your Mom has passed away, I wish you wonderful memories and God’s comfort. If your Mom is still alive, find a way to let her know that you thank God for her every day of the year, not just on Mother’s Day.
- Pastor Peter
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