Happy Mother's Day

The following post comes from some thoughts I shared with the church on Mothers Day 2000. May they bless the Moms who so bless the Savior!

About a week and a half ago, my mother’s mother passed away. She had been in failing health and so it wasn’t surprising that the Lord would take her. It was my privilege to fly to Gastonia, NC to be with my mother as she said goodbye to hers.

My mother had been the primary caretaker for my grandmother in the last year of her life – welcoming her into her home to give her the round the clock attention she needed. She had done the same thing with my father’s mother a few years before. So it was both an honor and a pleasure to be with her in this time.

As I was leaving the day after the funeral, my mom took a few small porcelain dolls that had been among her mother’s heirlooms. She wrapped them and put them in my bag. Knowing from the last time she stayed with us that we are short of table spoons, she also took some of her mother’s table spoons and told me to give them to Jill.

On the flight home a thought occurred to me. At a time when she was only beginning to sort out life without her mother in this world, my mom’s thoughts turned to her daughter in law and her grandchildren.

The thing I have pondered since then is the old saying, “A mother’s work is never done.”. We usually apply that to the 30 hour days moms put in. But this experience has taught me that a mother’s work lasts a lifetime – it is as much a way of life as it is about the tasks of raising children.

I see this in my wife as well. When you enter our home, you enter the mothering zone. In the mothering zone, your needs are anticipated, your messes are cleaned up, your booboos are given lavish attention, and hugs abound. Jill couldn’t do otherwise if she tried. And like all moms, her mothering zone is mobile, it goes where she goes.

When I see the moms in this church, that’s what I see. Mobile mothering zones extending throughout the community – enveloping anyone who happens to get close enough for a good mothering to take place. I see it in the way moms in this church treat all kids like their kids. I see it in the way moms serve in Alpha. I’ve seen it in the past few months in the way moms have descended on brides- to-be leading up to weddings. I’ve seen it in the way moms intercede in prayer for this church and its mission.

Mothering is not just a job, or even a calling. It is those things, but it is also a grace, a divine gift to do and be something that cuts against the grain of comfort, self interest, and visible reward. But like the work of motherhood, the grace the grace of motherhood doesn’t end.

The apostle Paul said to the Corinthians, “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.”.

On this Mother’s day, we as a church want to do the same thing.

· We want to thank God FOR YOU – for the means of grace you are in our lives.

· We also want to thank God WITH YOU – for the grace he has given you for the task. It is and always will be all of grace.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY FROM YOUR FAMILY LIFE TEAM!