Mommy!

Mothers have very special relationships with their children. They feel their babies growing within them. They love their children before they are even born. Mothers go through tremendous pain to bring their children into the world. They nurse them, giving their children the life sustaining nourishment they need to survive.

Mothers give of themselves every step of the way - from conception, they carry their children with them. Only upon the birth of their new baby do mothers become physically separated from their children.

As children grow and develop into adults, their mother's love never fails, never falters. Mothers still have that maternal desire to nurture their children and take care of them - to see them succeed in life and to be safe. How deep must a mothers grief be then when they lose a child?

And yet, when I think about Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the love she must have had for her son, and I contemplate what it must have been like to see her son, AND her God, hanging on that cross, dying, I can't help but marvel at the words of her song that appears in the book of  Luke.

"46 My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name." - Luke 1:46-49

That gives me chills.

And, for as beaten and bloody as Jesus was, as He hung on that cross He took the time to speak to His mother, making sure she was taken care of for the rest of her life.

"Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son,"  and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home." - John 19:25-27

How blessed was Mary to give birth to the Son of God!

Many of today's mothers have jobs. Just like men, their focus can often turn to their careers or to their social life. I think I heard some place that women now have just as many or more heart attacks than men do. What of their children then? Who is nurturing them? Their iPads and smart phones? Blessed be the mom's who stay at home, who teach their children well.

This weekend our country celebrates mom's. One day out of the year? I think that's wrong. We should be celebrating mothers EVERY day. Not to the point of worship. That would be idolatry. But simply, in appreciation for all they do. For without our mothers, where would any of us be?

We should celebrate our moms. Let's take them out to dinner, give them the night off, send them a card, a gift, or give them a call. But let us not forget to give thanks to God for His provision and His creation. How beautiful are His ways.