What a great occasion to celebrate the woman
God used to
give us life!
Many of us are running, visiting, flying and purchasing
various tokens to ensure that the woman we love and respect will be honored
this Mother’s Day. And we should! For the nine months she carried you... NO
CHARGE!
But what about when the memory is not the best? Or worse yet,
they are no longer here... How do we
acknowledge Mother’s Day?
NOT THE BEST:
First, let’s be honest. Not all of us
have wonderful memories or stories to tell.
Some may still not know where mom is or may have questions about why she
was not there to give the care and love that it looks like everyone else is
celebrating. And if she was there, we
may still be secretly wishing she hadn’t been.
There could have been abuse and hurtful situations that we are still
trying to overcome. Maybe our life would
have been better if someone else was more involved than she was. Then there is the bible verse that tells us to
honor our mother and father….
In these instances, I often encourage people to give honor
where honor is due. God is not expecting
us to lie. If someone was not there,
abuse was the norm or other situations happened that were less than honorable,
honor them because God used them to get you here. Sometimes situations happen and people make
choices that may have nothing to do with you.
Their own pain or dysfunction might cause them to be less than God
intended and their inability to admit they need or find true help, may leave
them exactly where they were. Not your
fault, you were just there. Don't focus on the negative that you can't change, don't let it consume your mind or conversations. Instead thank God for at least being here, that you were not the
product of abortion, which means that God’s
purpose is still alive in you! Be open to or find
mentors and people for your life that can fill the gaps. If you
know a child that is in a similar situation, be there for them. Be what you needed and God will give you what
you missed.
MY MOM IS NOT
HERE: Then there is the
difficulty during Mother’s Day when mom is no longer here. How can you really celebrate with others when
your heart is so broken? I can tell you
to follow the bible and rejoice with those that rejoice… and that would be scriptural and all, but let me
tell you what I did the first few years after my mother passed:
I found someone to honor in her name. The first year it was difficult, there was not
another woman I could see that I thought was ‘worthy’ of honoring in her
name. Sad to say, but true. So the first year I purchased flowers for a
mom I didn’t even know, my new neighbor’s mother.
She was so excited and appreciative that it kind of threw me. The next year was easier, almost like paying
if forward. Looking for a mother to
honor and bless made me notice the great attributes in others that I always saw in my
mother.
That helped me for the first years, then I found if I really
wanted to honor my mother, I have to live well. I should have the attributes that she had (the
good ones) evident in my life. I become
the legacy of her name, her values and her teaching in our home. If I really want to honor her, I should fulfill
my purpose like she did. So I put things in place to handle my children well, my finances, my household and my job. All the things I saw in my mother should now live in me.
The bible says “The memory of the just is blessed” Proverbs
10:7
Many times we think that has to do with our actual memory as
in our ability to recall things, but if you read through it is dealing with how
people recall YOU. ..If you are just. So
it is good to recall a mother that has served God and her family well. Her memory should be a blessing.
