Monday, May 31, 2010

A Little Late for Mother's Day (from May 2010 Reflections on Eternity)

To all my readers that are moms, Happy Belated Mother's Day! It is so hard to know what to get for mom or what to say that can adequately capture the depth of feeling you have for your mother. Mother is our first nurturer and teacher, the one who we learn about the world from. Mother is the first person who meets our every need and responds to our cries. I am thankful for my mother.

I know that not everyone feels this way, and it is sad that this is the case. But whatever the current circumstance, at some point, you had a mother. And even if all she did for you was bring you into the world, that was still a great sacrifice on her part.

This year I was particularly touched by the thought of life without my mother as I witnessed the mixture of joy and pain experienced by some of my friends whose mothers have gone - Hallelujah! - to heaven. There is a feeling of joy that the suffering of this world is done, and yet a sadness that her comfort and care are no longer a phone call or drive down the road away.

I want to encourage each of you to remember the good things about your mother and be sensitive to those missing theirs. And if you are a mother, please let your joyful experiences color your attitude toward your children instead of letting the negatives take control.

For God never promised us that every day of motherhood would be easy; he only entrusted us to be caretakers of his creation and to nurture lives that he ordained. This is a great responsibility but one that he knew you could handle. And if you have not been a mother in the natural sense of the word, I would encourage you to look for someone who has been placed in your life for nurturing. There are naturally and spiritually motherless people all around us. Some of them rejected their mother's counsel and advice and are now seeing its value for the first time.

Pray for them, and for me. My mom said to me on Mother's Day that I was not a hard child to raise. That's not the way I remember it, but it really did something to my spirit for her to say that. For a long time I felt guilty about things I had done that I know caused my mom unnecessary pain (such as getting pregnant at 13, skipping school, fighting, and much more). Not to mention that fact that she had five other children (including my child) to be concerned about while I was in my wild phase.

For her to bless me like she did, and to say to me that I turned out to be a good mother and that my daughter is being a good mother to her children, is tremendous. I will always remember that. And as I shared with my friends who have been sharing memories of their mothers, now resting in the arms of Christ and viewing the Holy City they lived to see, "I remember Mama in a happy way." Thanks, Pastor Shirley Cesar, I couldn't have said it better.

A little late, but somehow, I believe, right on time.

Can I Get a Witness?

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