A Mother's Poem:
"Some may climb Mt Everest, ... in search of thrills galore,
But I scale peaks that rival it, ... just past the laundry door:
Slopes of socks and underwear, ... sheer cliffs of shirts and pants.
Oh, yes, I live in mortal fear; ... of a laundry avalanche"
We have come together today ......First and Foremost .... to honor.... our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ .... with our worship.
This day... May 8th.... is also a time, .... to honor .... our mothers, .... grandmothers .... and the mothers .... of our children.
These...... are lifetime tasks, .... neither of which ......can be confined .... to a one hour .... worship service.
This is a day.... for greetings...... and expressions of love.
It is also a day.... for remembering.
I do not believe .... that anything has ever been said ...... or ever will be said ....... that is eloquent enough, ...... or expressive enough ......to articulate .... the true value ......of a mother.
Motherhood .... is a special gift ...... from God.
Now, it seems to me, ... that something miraculous happens ... when a woman gives birth to her first child.
For in a way ... there are really two births.
The first is the birth of the child.
The second is the birth of the mother.
It is a miraculous gift ... of creation.
A mother is considered "old fashioned" ....to her teenager; .... just "Mom" to her third-grader; and simple "Mama" ....to the little .... two-year old.
Beloved, ... we need to love and appreciate our mothers and grandmothers while we have them. (Pause)
It is so very moving that one of the last things Jesus did on earth was to take care of His mother!
Even in the dying moments of His life,
He never stopped loving her.
He never stopped caring for her.
Jesus honored his mother Mary.... ..... even as he hung .... on the Cross.
Hear God's word from the Gospel of John
BIBLE "...., standing near the cross of Jesus .... were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary ......., and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother ......and the disciple whom he loved .... standing beside her, ... he said to his mother.... "Woman, here is your son." 27 Then he said to the disciple...... "Here is your mother." .... And from that hour .... the disciple took her .... into his own home." END (John 19:25-26)
Near the Cross .... was Mary the mother of Jesus .... His mother's Sister Mary... Mary Magdalene and one other person ...... the disciple.... whom Jesus loved.
Now, the traditional thought ....is that this disciple ...... might be the apostle John himself.
Though others believe ...... that the disciple Jesus loved .... was Lazarus .... the one whom Jesus raised from the dead.
For in John's own Gospel ......Lazarus ...... is the only one referred to by name ......as the one .... Jesus loves.
Jesus went on to tell.... this disciple .... whomever he was ... that Mary was now his mother... and in turn ...he was saying.... That this disciple was now...her son.
Jesus makes an oral testament ....in front of witnesses, .... which makes it binding.
And He formally places his mother ...under this disciple's protection... requiring him....to provide for Mary.... after his death. (Pause)
Mothers can leave ......a wonderful imprint .... on the lives ......of their Children.
Their lives .... Their actions ......speak volumes.
If the Son of God takes time from the cross to honor His mother, ... You should make sure you honor Your mother!
And for us husbands ... to take time to honor the mother ... of our children.
The Fifth commandment given to Moses ... is to Honor your father and mother.
And Honoring your father and mother is not just something you do as a child or a teenager.
It is a commandment to be kept all through life. How do I know that?
Because The Scriptures Are Clear; Hear God's Word
BIBLE "Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, ... that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy a long life on the earth." END (Ephesians 6:2)
A commandment with a promise.
A commandment with a blessing.
Now Some may say, .... "But my mother wasn't honorable!"
Well, .... the Scriptures ...do not state that there is a qualification... there is no standard to be met......the only requirement... to receive honor.... is that she is...... your mother.
It is the only one .... of the 10 commandments .... with a promise.
If you honor your mother...... you will ......receive a blessing. REPEAT
Thank God for mothers and grandmothers...... who live in ....and proclaim the faith ......of Christ Jesus.
Moments with mothers and grandmothers.... Often become the foundation ......of memories.... that in turn become stories ... that are shared with the family.... for years to come.
So many times mothers display patience when many a man would have given up. (Pause)
One day a man came home from work to find total mayhem at home.
The kids were outside still in their pajamas playing in the mud and muck.
There were empty food boxes and wrappers all around.
As he proceeded into the house, he found an even bigger mess.
Dishes on the counter, dog food spilled on the floor, a broken glass under the table, and a small pile of sand by the back door.
The family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing, and a lamp had been knocked over.
He headed up the stairs, stepping over toys, to look for his wife.
He was becoming worried that she may be ill, or that something had happened to her.
He found her in the bedroom, still in bed with her pajamas on, reading a book.
She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went.
He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?"
She again smiled and answered, "You know every day when you come home from work and ask me what I did today?"
"Yes," was his reply."
She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it!"
Being a mom is hard work. Amen!
Most of us have fond memories of family ... of mothers, grandmothers and of home.
And though my mother has been gone for 15 years now, ... I have so many precious memories of her.
Mother and home ... when you mention one you just automatically think of the other.
And when most of us think of home we forget the troubles that may surround us and remember the sounds the sights and the smells of home.
Of screen doors banging in the summer time, the aroma of cookies or bread just out of the oven, or the smell of our favorite meal.
Home...... we enjoy .... a sense of acceptance there, of being loved. (Pause)
Few things are more powerful .... than the tears ....and the prayers .... of a mother.
Few things are more tender ...than a mother's hug ...or a.... compassionate touch.
And A Godly Mother translates the Scriptures........ into her everyday life.
Beloved......The best thing that we can do for our children .... our grandchildren ...... our friends......is for each of us...... to be personally right .... with God.
To walk in the way ...... of the Lord.
To never be satisfied ...... but to continually seek to be transformed ...... to be conformed ......into the image of Christ. (Pause)
We need to Honor our mothers .... and each other ...... every day.
So maybe ...... this is the day .... today is the day .... to tell your mother .... Your grandmother....and for us husbands .... the mother.... of our children ...... that you appreciate her.... care for her...honor her....and love her deeply.
Jesus honored his mother ... even as death approached ... we cannot... we must not.... do less.
Amen and Amen!
(Below are four other Illustrations/ Thoughts)
Help: I retired in November 2017 and am attempting to supplement my income by sharing on Sermoncentral. If this Message has been helpful to you, please consider a nominal donation: Send to The Rev. Jeff Smead 11725 Regent Park Drive Chardon Ohio 44024. Blessed To Be A Blessing.
Dear Reader: So I can better help you, if this Message was not helpful and you rated it low, Please let me know what it lacked or why it was not helpful. You can search by contributor Smead" (Constructive Criticism is very helpful) and contact me there. Blessings Jeff.
FOUR OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS/THOUGHTS (I have had these for some time and do not remember the sources).
1. As children how do we relate with our mothers through the years.
These thoughts .... may bring our relationship with our mothers into focus:
At age 4, we say "My mom can do anything!"
At age 12, we say "Mom doesn't know Everything."
At age 14, we say "Mom doesn't know Anything!"
At age 18, we say "Mom is out of step with the times."
At age 25, we say "Well, mom knows a few things."
At age 35, we say "Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion."
At age 45, we say "I wonder what mom would say about this?"
At age 65, we say "I wish I could talk things over ... with my mom."
2. Four ministers were discussing the merits of the various translations of the Scriptures.
One liked the King James Version best because of its simple, yet beautiful English Prose.
Another liked the New Century Version best because of its modern language.
The third preacher liked the Living Bible even better since it is paraphrased.
The fourth minister was silent. (P) When asked to express his opinion, he replied, "I like my mother's translation best."
The other ministers said, "We didn't know that your mother translated the Bible!"
"Oh Yes, she certainly did," he replied, "Mother translated the Bible into her everyday life, and it was the most convincing translation I ever saw."
Thank God for mothers who live in and proclaim the faith of Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen!
3. There is a Legend concerning Abraham Lincoln that:
One day he went to a slave market.
And he noticed a young African-American woman being auctioned to the highest offer.
He bid on her and he won.
He could see the anger in the young woman's eyes.
As Lincoln walked off with his "property," he turned to the woman and said, "You're free." (Pause)
"She said "What does that mean?" Lincoln replied "It means you're free."
She said "Does this mean I can say whatever I want?"
Lincoln said "Yes, it means you can say whatever you want."
She said "Does it mean that I can be whatever I want to be?"
Lincoln said "Yes, you can be whatever you want to be."
She said "Does it mean that I can go wherever I want to go?"
Lincoln said "Yes, it means you can go wherever you want to go."
The young woman's eyes welled up with tears. She said "Then I think I will go with you." (Pause)
Jesus did the same thing for us that Lincoln did for that woman.
He paid the price to set us free.
And may we answer "I think I will go with You!
Amen and Amen!
4. There was a mother pushing a shopping cart through Wal-Mart.
Her daughter is riding in the cart, and she's screaming her head off.
Her mom kept saying "Calm down, Ellen. It'll be all right, Ellen.
It's almost time to go home, Ellen."
One of the checkout ladies saw this and said "Maam, you are to be commended at how patient you are with little Ellen."The Mom said "Lady, I'm Ellen!" (Pause)
