by Kevin Burton
From the cross, the most difficult circumstance imaginable, Jesus took care of His earthly mother.
He knew He was ending his earthly walk and He was telling the disciple John to meet her needs.
“So when Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household,” John 19: 26-27 NASB).
So I think you can carve out some time to remember Mom on Sunday, May 14, which is Mother’s Day.
An early Mother’s Day post is a bit of a public service move, to help those of you who haven’t forgotten, but who have plenty on their plates and haven’t made those Mother’s Day plans yet. You still have two days, so get busy.
If you’re waiting for Hallmark to tell you to honor your mother, you’re not doing it right.
Now that I think of it, why not celebrate Mom all weekend? Why not?
I believe all these days (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparents Day, Left-handed Coal Miner’s Day) were made with the best of intentions. They sure can turn into contrivances though. Try not to let it be so.
In our household, we are most blessed and grateful to have our mothers still with us. Jeannette’s mom is 90, my mom is 88, about a month from turning 89.
But no matter what age your mother is, her tomorrow is not guaranteed. On Facebook each year I see posts from people who have lost their mothers, urging people to honor and enjoy their mothers while they can.
Amen to that.
You can give mom stuff on Mother’s Day, but chances are she is more interested in you, your time and presence. Give her you. Your time meet her needs the card is great but is just a start.
Much joy to all you moms out there!
The late Erma Bombeck was a very funny syndicated newspaper columnist from Bellbrook, Ohio. She was a mother and got a lot of her column material from her children and the trails and tribulations of raising them.
I will share her May 12, 1974 Mother’s Day column entitled “When God created mothers.”
“When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into his sixth day of “overtime” when an angel appeared and said, “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”
And the Lord said, “Have you read the specs on this order?
- She has to be completely washable, but not plastic;
- Have 180 movable parts… all replaceable;
- Run on black coffee and leftovers;
- Have a lap that disappears when she stands up;
- A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair;
- And six pairs of hands.”
The angel shook her head slowly and said, “Six pairs of hands… no way.”
“It’s not the hands that are causing me problems,” said the Lord. “It’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have.”
“That’s on the standard model?” asked the angel.
The Lord nodded. “One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, ’What are you kids doing in there?’ when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say, ’I understand and I love you’ without so much as uttering a word.”
“Lord,” said the angel, touching His sleeve gently, “Go to bed. Tomorrow…”
“I can’t,” said the Lord, “I’m so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick… can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger… and can get a nine-year-old to stand under a shower.”
The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. “It’s too soft,” she sighed.
“But she’s tough!” said the Lord excitedly. “You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure.”
“Can it think?”
“Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise,” said the Creator.
Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. “There’s a leak,” she pronounced. “I told You You were trying to push too much into this model.”
“It’s not a leak,” said the Lord. “It’s a tear.”
“What’s it for?”
“It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride.”
“You are a genius,” said the angel.
“The Lord looked somber. “I didn’t put it there,” He said.
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