I had a great conversation with my mother this last week. I called her and asked her what she wants for mother’s day. My mom told me that she wants to know that her children have spent time thinking about her. She said it is less about gifts and more about time. A great mother’s day for my mom is enjoying breakfast, lunch, dinner or coffee with good conversation.
She said if we couldn’t be there that conversation over the phone means a lot to her. She wants to catch up and share life. All of that makes her feel appreciated and accepted and loved. Makes her feel special.
I stayed silent hoping she would continue to talk and she went on to say that I want peace in the family and time when we can all be together. Apparently, my mom and my dad say they get the greatest joy watching all of their boys together and enjoying being together.
Then she went on to say that I want my children to be close to God. I want to be able to see that all of my family enjoys being with me and has fun together. Not just saying I need to call or I need to stop by and see mom. She wants all of us to want to be with her and have fun doing it.
Then my mother shared a dream she has. She wants to have enough money to rent a lake house somewhere and fly all of her sons in with their families and just have fun together. My mother is the person who will think ahead and make sure there are games for the kids and for the adults. Then a few minutes after a meal, she will get everyone to play games together. She does that to encourage relationships and to make it fun for everyone.
So what would make your mother’s day the best mother’s day ever? It will be different for different women. So the best way to know is to ask. I would like to encourage you to ask.
Mothers do so much for us. They physically give birth to us and then care for us and teach us as we grow up. It is both very demanding and very rewarding.
It has never been easy to be a mom. I am concerned about women today. There is pressure to succeed in a career. Pressure to succeed in marriage. Pressure to succeed as a mom. All the while looking great.
But life has always been a challenge.
Genesis 12 -25 Abraham and Sarah and their nephew Lot left their country to go to the promised land. That took courage. But following God didn’t take all their problems away. Sarah struggled to get pregnant. She had conflict with relatives. She made some really bad decisions. She disobeyed God. She even laughed when told by an angel she would give birth in one year at an old age – lack of faith. But in the midst of the struggles of life, she grew in her character and faith as she aged. Here is where she ended up:
Hebrews 11:11 (NLT) It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.
There are no perfect moms.
One of the top 10 commandments is honor your mother. Not because she is perfect. Honor the position with extra honor for the woman who does a great job.
What about kids? Don’t take too much credit when they do well and don’t take too much blame when they mess up. So many women carry a sense of guilt or failure because of the choices of their children.
The garden of Eden was a perfect setting and God was there in a special way. Yet they did wrong. God is a perfect parent. None of us are. Yet they used their free will to choose to do wrong.
If you sin, is it your mom’s fault? If your kids sin, is it your fault?
Do the best you can.
The best thing you can do as a mom is to be close to God yourself, have the strongest marriage you can and to help your children in their relationship with God.
Use the Parent Cue app, the Studio 252 website with your children and the God Time cards on church website. These are all done for you resources to help you succeed.
We have other resources to help you. Just ask.
Moms – you are loved and appreciated.