Happy Hannah (Mother’s Day)

We honor our mothers in two ways:

(1) SOME ARE HERE TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF THEIR MOTHER who has gone to be with the Lord.

Some of you are wearing a white rose or carnation to show that she has gone to be with the Lord.

Today, you remember all the GOOD THINGS your loving mother taught you as a child.

Illus: I read about some things you would never hear a mother say to her child, such as:

• "How on earth can you see the TV sitting so far back?"

• "Yeah, I used to skip school a lot, too."

• "Just leave all the lights on ... it makes the house look more cheery."

• "Let me smell that shirt -- Yeah, it's good for another week."

• "Go ahead and keep that stray dog, honey. I'll be glad to feed and walk him every day."

•“Well, if Timmy's mom says it's OK, that's good enough for me."

• "The curfew is just a general time to shoot for. It's not like I'm running a prison around here."

• "I don't have a tissue with me ... just use your sleeve."

Many have come to honor the memory of a loving Mother who always looked out for their best interest.

(2) SOME ARE HERE TO HONOR THEIR MOTHERS who are still living.

Some are wearing a red rose or a red carnation to show that your Mother is still living.

Today you have a chance to:

• Look her in the eyes again and say, “Mom, you are the greatest and I love you!”

• Put your arms around her and give her a big squeeze.

• Give her a Mother’s Day card expressing how you feel about her.

• Take her out for lunch and let her know how much you love her.

These are the things that we should do today for our living mothers, because next year we could be among those who are honoring our mother in memory.

Our mothers have taught us so many things. Did you know that 80% of what a child learns, they learn before they are five years old?

Illus: I read the other day that one man said,

• My Mother taught me LOGIC. She said, “If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can't go to the store with me.”

• My Mother taught me MEDICINE. She said, "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they're going to freeze that way."

• My Mother taught me ESP. She said, "Put your sweater on; don't you think that I know when you're cold?"

• My Mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE. She said, "What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you...Don't talk back to me!"

• My Mother taught me HUMOR. She said, “When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

• My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT. She said, "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.”

• My mother taught me about GENETICS. She said that when I am bad I am just like my father!

• My mother taught me about my ROOTS. She said, "Do you think you were born in a barn?"

• My mother taught me about the WISDOM of AGE. She said, "When you get to be my age, you will understand."

• My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. She said, "Just wait until your father gets home."

• My mother taught me about RECEIVING. She said, “You are going to get it when we get home.

• My mother taught me JUSTICE. She said, "One day you will have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you, then you'll see what it's like."

But I would like to get serious for a few minutes because motherhood is a very serious thing.

When asked of the greatest need in France, Napoleon responded emphatically, "Mothers!" And I believe that one of the greatest needs in America today is for good godly MOTHERS and GRANDMOTHERS.

Hannah is a good example of a Mother who took Motherhood seriously. She produced a son by the name of Samuel, and anyone who has read about this man knows how God greatly used Him.

This great prophet of God probably would not have been the man he was if it had not been for his godly mother.

Let’s look at some of the things that made her a great mother.

I. HANNAH LOVED CHILDREN

Hannah DESIRED children, she did not DESPISE them!

As a parent, I will be the first to admit that children are not always easy to like.

You have heard the old saying about why grandparents are called grandparents: it is because we think it is . . .