IF COASTERS COULD TALK
Mother’s Day
May 13, 2007
Key Text: 1 Peter 3:3 & 4
The title of the message today is: “If Coasters Could Talk.” I mentioned the other day to a lady, what my message title was for this morning and she said, “If my coasters could talk, I’d get rid of them!” Maybe you feel like that this morning. Maybe the comings and goings of your house, and the busyness, even of just this day -which for mothers, and really, all ladies we love, is supposed to be your special day to be pampered - maybe you feel like it’s all just a hustle and bustle of activity.
Today is Mother’s Day according to what we call the Hallmark Calendar. On the Christian calendar we are in that time from Easter leading up to Pentecost Sunday - a time of great hope and anticipation of the coming of the Holy Spirit. So today, we want to provide some words of hope and encouragement to all of you, but especially to the women here today. To be renewed, and revived in your spirit. Get a fresh sense of who you are in Christ Jesus.
Now, when I was growing up, we had several sets of coasters in our home. I remember wooden ones with cork insets, gold colored ones with a picture of Niagara Falls in the center. I remember colorful plastic coasters, and I remember woven cloth coasters that matched the cloth napkins and table cloth. We even had crystal coasters. I think they were given to my parents as a wedding present. And it didn’t seem to matter where we went with our drink in hand, we could hear Mom’s voice calling out after us, “Put a coaster under that!” And the reason Mom was so concerned about the coaster - the reason it was so important, was that it protected whatever furniture we were going to set the drink on. So the purpose of the coaster was, and still is to this day, protection.
And the scripture verses on the coasters talking to us today, will protect us from the stains of life. We put the coaster on top of the thing we want to protect. So we put these scriptures, these principles on top of everything else - these become our priorities to protect us from the blemishes of this life. And the coaster goes under the daily routines of life - the water - so to speak - of the things we do every day. They are not only the barrier on top of life to protect us from stains and scratches and marks, but they are what slides under everything else that we do everyday - the cares and concerns of everyday living. That’s the purpose of the coaster.
In a moment we are going to look at the message: - what some coasters might say if they could talk. And I’ve brought some of my coasters here with me today. Question: How many of you have a set of coasters somewhere in your home? (Hands) How many of you use them!!!???
I have four kinds of coasters here. I have a very colorful one made of yarn (I made it). And I have one here from a kitchen set that is made out of wood. And then there’s this one which is really pieces of cork, glued together to make the base, with a pretty paper overlay over top of it. And then there’s this crystal one (we’re going to call it crystal for today anyway). And this coaster was a special find that Orval (if there) discovered for me at the Community Connection just the other day, so I bought it.
Before we look at our coasters more closely, let’s read together, what the Bible has to say about a woman.
1 Peter 3:3&4: It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that make you beautiful. No, your beauty comes from within you - the beauty of a quiet spirit that will never be destroyed and is very precious to God.
Whether you are a wife, a mother, or a lady in your family, God speaks of your value to the home and society as that which is on the inside. A gentle, quiet spirit which can never be destroyed. Isn’t that beautiful? Ladies, you have the potential to have something within you, that can never be destroyed - no matter what age you are, or what you’ve been through, or are going through. We’re going to find out today, how you can have that quiet, gentle spirit that is so beautiful to God and to others.
Humor: A mom was tucking her little boy into bed one summer night during a violent thunderstorm. She was just about to turn out the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, “Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?”
Mom smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. “I can’t dear,” she said. “I have to sleep with your daddy.”
A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice saying: “Mommy, is he scared too?”
At the conclusion of our service today, we will be honoring each of the ladies by presenting her with a special gift - a set of 2 coasters - each one with one of the four scripture verses we’re going to look at in just a moment.
First, I want to share with you this description of a super mom, that I had sent to me recently:
“Faster than a speeding toddler, more powerful than a “know-it-all” teenager, able to leap roller blades and hockey sticks in a single bound! Look up on that ladder… is it dad changing a light bulb??? a workman painting the ceiling???
NO!!!! It’s AWESOME MOM sorting through the laundry pile that has accumulated over the weekend.
Strange alien to a lazy teen, she hustles through the house with power and authority far beyond that of mortal man. Yes, it’s AWESOME MOM! Who, disguised as a *totally weird creature who never ever was a kid herself*, fights a never ending battle for TRUTH… JUSTICE… and time alone in the bathroom!”
MOM - can you relate to that!?!
The packaging of our coaster gift today says on it, “Give mom a break.” Men, sometimes, one of the best gifts YOU can give your wife, is to give her a break. Roses and candy are wonderful - don’t leave those out. Taking her out to dinner is even better. And if you do stay home, and she does the cooking, offering to do the dishes, BEFORE she asks for help, is something she’ll remember long after the candy is gone and the roses have wilted!
Now let’s look at the 4 coasters and what they might say to us ladies if they could talk.
1. The first coaster in our set is:
“Peace”
“The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace” Numbers 6:26. READ TOGETHER
This first coaster could represent the women who have never married, or the widowed ladies. It reminds me of the coaster I have made of yarn. The word “yarn” has two meanings “a stringing together” or “the telling of stories.”
These are the women who have never had children, or their children may be grown and far away. But it seems they always have lots of children around them.
What I have noticed about these ladies is, they love to tell stories and have a way of bringing peace to any situation. These beautiful women of God have that quiet, gentle spirit that Peter talks about. You see them comforting a child who has been bullied, or patiently teaching a child who is handicapped but eager to learn.
When this lady is in the room there is a calm sense of peace all around her.
Humor: A four-year-old and a six-year-old presented their Mom with a houseplant for Mother’s Day. They had used their own money and she was thrilled. The older of them said with a sad face, “There was a bouquet that we really wanted to give you at the flower shop. It was real pretty, but it was too expensive. It had a ribbon on it that said, “Rest In Peace,” and we thought it would be just perfect since you are always asking for a little peace so that you can rest.”
PEACE is a fairly misunderstood word in our English language. Our culture thinks of peace as: no war, no crises, having enough money to do what you want, no more panic attacks, getting the kids through school, or a myriad of other things that we think if we can just get through, will bring us peace.
The Bible, in Numbers 6:26, tells us PEACE is the culmination of other blessings that the Lord provides to his people. PEACE comes, from the Lord’s blessing and keeping us. PEACE comes, from the Lord giving his grace to us and turning his face toward us. When we know and understand these things, then we have God’s peace - which is not just a momentary, fleeting kind of peace because we’ve managed to accomplish something, like make a little more money, get the kids off to college or married, or stave off one more crisis.
Peace is God’s overarching will for your life. Regardless of who you are here today. Regardless of what we are celebrating today in the God-given gift of the ladies we have with us - God’s will for your life is to know and to have, His peace. When you have His peace, your spirit can be at rest.
Let’s remember and learn from the woman who is single and has a love for other’s children who gather all around her.
Let’s take the time to relax, unwind, and allow the very Peace of God to fill our minds and hearts.
The second coaster might say:
“Be Still and Know”
“Be still and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10 READ
This second coaster could represent the Moms who are young women just learning how to be a mom. Her children have not reached school age and they listen to her and trust her. She is writing things on the hearts of her children that will stay with them for a lifetime.
She is a bit fragile. This woman reminds me of the coaster I have that is made of pieces of cork, glued together with the pretty paper overlay. She feels like her heart and her home is in pieces most of the time, and it’s just being held together with a piece of pretty paper over the whole thing. She may feel like she can be torn easily because everything in her home has changed sense the arrive of this little bundle. This woman needs to hear this coaster as it says to her, “Be Still.”
Ladies, our Lord desires us to be still and know that He is God!
There is great value in waiting patiently before the Lord in quietness and stillness, especially in times of family pressures and society’s demands.
Susannah Wesley, the mother of 19 children including John and Charles, who needed time alone with God, instructed her children that whenever they saw her with her apron over her face, they were not to bother her. This would be her time to be ‘still’ and ‘know’ in the presence of her Lord. Her practice of meditation became known as “praying in the apron.” The fruit of these quiet times was the special moments she spent with each child on a daily basis. Susannah Wesley took time to be still. She took time for the Lord and as a result, she had time for each one of her 19 children.
When your life is too busy - when you think you can’t possibly do one more thing, that’s the time to bury your face in your apron and remind yourself to be still and know that HE is God. Be still before Him - recognizing that He IS God and he’s big enough for anything life can throw at you. There’s a new gospel song on the radio these days that has a line it that says, “don’t compare your problems to you, compare them to God.”
Be still - be still - be at rest. He is God.
3. If coasters could talk, The third coaster might say:
“Give God Your Cares”
“Casting all your cares on Him, for He careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 READ
This third coaster could represent the mom who is trying to raise teens. It reminds me of the wooden coaster I have. She has some pretty demanding and difficult decisions to make. Many times she will need to stand firm like the tree this coaster is made from.
What “cares” have you brought in here with you today? “Cares” means anxiety or worry. In the Greek “anxiety” means to have a divided mind. It means to lose focus or to try to focus on too many things at once. George Mueller wrote, “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.” I particularly like what Chuck Swindoll says about worry or anxiety. He says, “Worry pulls tomorrow’s clouds over today’s sunshine.” “Worry pulls tomorrow’s clouds over today’s sunshine.”
Research shows that the average person’s anxiety consists of 40% of things that will never happen, 30% of things that are in the past that can’t be changed, 12% is based on criticism from others, most of which is not true, 10% is about health issues which will get worse with worry, and only 8% of our worries are based on real problems that will be faced. Worry is giving a small matter - more credit than it’s worth. Peter said to cast ALL of our anxiety on God. That literally means we are to throw every care and every concern that we have, on God. We’re not to hold anything back.
Humor: On her forty-first birthday, a woman received, among other presents, a very expensive and extravagant wrinkle-removing cream from her teenage daughter. “And what did she give you last year?” A guest asked the mom. Without hesitation, she replied, “The wrinkles!”
4. The fourth and final coaster might say,
“Come apart and Rest”
“And He said to them, Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31 READ
This fourth coaster could represent the mom who is now a Grandmother. It reminds me of the crystal coaster I have. By this time in her life she has become transparent and is clear in her direction. She is, as one crystal company puts it, a marriage of beauty and practical functionality! She is a women of fine quality, she has been there and is wise in her decisions. Down through the years she has discovered the importance of coming apart and resting.
Someone has said, “If you don’t come apart for a while, you may come apart forever.”
Our text describes how busy Jesus and his disciples were in providing ministry to so many people. So much so that they didn’t even have time to eat. They weren’t taking time to rest. Jesus recognized their need, including his own, and he told them to come away, and rest. Jesus calls us all to come away, and rest.
The world will try to keep you from resting. The world’s philosophy is if we work hard enough and long enough, we will be successful. There’s the idea that if we’re not working - if we’re not doing something every minute of the day, that somehow we don’t measure up.
The Lord wants us to remember that we all need time off. We need time to play, and refresh, and spend time with Jesus and just be close to Him.
Ralph Turnbull tells of a pastor who boasted to his congregation: “I’m not taking a vacation this year because the devil never does.” Upon hearing this, Turnbull asked himself, “Since when is the devil supposed to be our role model?” Turnbull estimated that in the space of three years of public ministry Jesus took ten vacations - times when he decided to “rest awhile.”
Maybe this illustration explains it best. In music, there is the importance of chords, keys, notes, and particularly ‘rest’ notes. There is no music in a rest. But rests are not to be slurred over, and not to be omitted. Rests in the music score, do not destroy the melody and does not change the key notes. And God does not write the music of our lives without rests. Those rests have His clear purpose and design for our good. We are to learn the tune, and not be dismayed at the ‘rests’. They, like in music, are not to be slurred over, and not to be omitted. If we sadly say to ourselves, “There is no music in a rest,” let us not forget that without the rest, there is no music.
As we conclude our time together today, may I encourage you ladies, moms and dads, - all of us here - take time to reflect on the importance of coasters. We’ve heard their message in detail today. At the beginning I said the purpose of the coaster is protection. When we listen and act on the message of the word of God, we will understand that the coasters of our life, what we put underneath of all the busyness and hustle and bustle of life, will protect us from the marks and stains of this world and will give us that quiet, gentle spirit that has beauty beyond measure. And it is a beauty which cannot be destroyed. No matter how young or old we are, that beauty - will never be taken away.
Well, these coasters may not be able to talk. But Jesus does. And he’s saying, “I give you peace. Know that I am God. Cast all your cares on me. Come away with me a while — and rest.”
My prayer for you all this morning, especially the ladies, is that you will find that time apart with Jesus, to renew your spirit and refresh your soul. My prayer is that you will hear those wonderful words of wisdom that I heard so many times from my mother - “Put a coaster under that!”
Let us pray....
