Four Ways To Love Your Mother

Mother’s teach on a daily basis…

RELIGION: "You better pray the stain will come out of the carpet."

FORESIGHT: "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident."

IRONY: "Keep laughing and I’ll give you something to cry about."

STAMINA: "You’ll sit there ’til all that spinach is finished."

WEATHER: "It looks as if a tornado swept through your room."

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE: "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION: "Stop acting like your father!"

John 19:26, 27

Mary witnessed the crucifixion from the foot of the cross. Can you even imagine how she must have felt? Jesus turns to John and says, take care of her, and looks at his mother and says, let him stand in my place as your son. John lived a very long life, and I believe he took care of Mary until she went to heaven.

On the cross, bearing the weight of the sins of the whole world on His shoulders, yet He sees to it to make sure His mother is taken care of after He is gone! As God, Jesus is dealing w/ eternal matters, but as a man, He’s showing all of us today how important it is to take care and love our mothers!

LifePoint: You cannot be wrong with your mother and be right with God.

So, regardless of your age, you can love her in these 4 ways:

1. Love Her Verbally.

Men have the philosophy— “I don’t have to say, I love you, and you already know it. I have told you before; if I change my mind I’ll let you know!” A woman, a mother - needs to hear those words, “I Love you!”

Children need to hear it…and saying it makes you more of a man, not less! Children need to hear affectionate communication in the home and I believe it starts with the man!

And please - don’t wait until death to say “I love you!”

DEAR ABBY: “I enlisted shortly after Pearl Harbor. Thirty-six days later, I was on my way to the Philippines. En route, the Philippines fell to the Japanese, and we were routed to Australia. Eleven days after we landed, I met the most beautiful girl in the world. On our first date, I told her I was going to marry her. I did, 18 months later, while on a 10-day R-and-R leave from New Guinea.

After more than 57 years of marriage and two children, my beloved "Mary" died five days before Christmas. Although we agreed that our ashes were to be scattered over the mountains, I found I could not part with hers.

While Mary was alive, she would frequently say, “You don’t know how much I love you.” I’d reply, “Likewise.” I never said, “I love you.” Now her ashes are on my dresser, where I tell her several times a day how much I love her, but it’s too late. Although I wrote poetry to her, I could not bring myself to say the three words I knew she wanted most to hear.

As my dearest was dying and we thought she was comatose, I told her, “There aren’t enough words to tell you how much I love you.” A few hours later, she whispered, “Not enough words” and died.

The reason I’m writing is to urge men to express their feelings while their loved ones are alive. I don’t know why, but many men are reluctant to express the depth of their feelings.”

2. Love Her Physically.

When was the last time you gave Mom a big hug with out her asking for it…or a BIG kiss on the cheek, or a neck rub, or just sat on the couch and held her for a change? Never forget – Mom was the first person who ever touched you…she wrapped you up in her womb for months, and her first priority was to hold you so carefully!

When you were little she may have said, “Give me some sugar”, and you’d pucker up and she’d accept your wet, sloppy kiss and even say thank you! You give her bear hugs so tight she didn’t have to hold on to you…you’d just cling to her as she walked around!

Remember - she changed your messy, smelly diapers and held the Kleenex for you to blow your nose! She deserves your touch and never stop it! It would mean more to her than flowers, candy, eating out, or a diamond necklace - well, let’s not go too far!

Just visit the nursing homes of our communities…they’re filled with untouched moms!

3. Love Her Patiently.

Galatians 5:22, 23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”