So what happens for Mother’s Day at your house? Is it a day filled with everything about Mom? Perhaps she gets a day off cooking? Presents? A chance to do her own thing without interruption? Isn’t it nice to have a day when you are recognized for all the unsung things that you do? But what… what if Mother’s day isn’t like that for you, what if your house is anything like mine. In my house, you’ll be lucky to get a “Happy Mother’s Day” greeting. Today I want to encourage mothers on a day when Mother’s Day isn’t.
The Hurt
Sometimes when the world is making a fuss, it’s easy to get hurt feelings if those around you don’t create a fuss too. I get it! Everyone else posts Happy Mother’s Day posts on Facebook, special mention is made at church, and inevitable questions of so how did your family surprise you for mother’s day? Hurt feelings are so easy to come by. Guarding our hearts, as well as the hearts of our loved ones, is sometimes a challenge.
How Do we Guard our Hearts?
Just how do we do that? Guard our hearts?
I’ve been listening to studies on Malachi lately, and one of things the prophet Malachi spoke against was how the Israelites had become lack lustre in their faith. Purely the result of forgetting who God was. They forgot to put God first in their lives, and so they were easily distracted from honouring him as they should.
God made us mothers, whether by birth, adoption, or the kindness of our hearts. We need to remember that, honouring him and how he brought us to this position.
We are in that unique position of being able to train up children in the way they should go. Proverbs 22:6 tells us that by doing so, as they mature they will not depart from it.
Sometimes we need to change our perspective. We need to take our eyes off the world and set them back on God.
But Deut 4:9 warns us to take care, even if we feel safe we need to guard our hearts diligently. Remember the Lord, remember all he has taught you, everything you have seen. And then teach them to your children. Tell the stories of God’s goodness to your family.
Be encouraged
Even if the world around you wants to exhalt Mother’s Day, even if your family doesn’t give much attention to the day, you are noticed and minded by the God who made you a momma.
A momma who minds her household, who keeps her finger on the pulse of the people entrusted to her care.
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” Proverbs 31:26-27
A momma who shows Christ to those around her.
Isaiah 66:13 As one whom his mother comforts,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
Be that momma, despite the externals. Choose to rise above the lack of attention.
Choose to ignore a money-making day cause ultimately that is what Mother’s Day is, a day to sell cards, flowers and chocolate. A day co-opted by the card companies from what it was meant to be. A day simply to remember the importance of one’s mother. We learned this with an Amanda Bennett Mother’s Day unit Study
Know that you are still cared for and paid attention to, even if the day just passes by in your household.
Know that you matter to your family, and more importantly to God.
The Crew does a weekly challenge, which for this week is Mother’s Day.
Join in on the Linky won’t you?
Mother’s Day is so weird. For so many it seems like such an overly important holiday but then for others it is ignored by choice or by chance. When I started dating my husband, his father wanted everyone to get together to go to a baseball game or the beach for his mother. Um…I have a mom, too. It was like everything had to stop for my future mother-in-law. Not that I don’t love her (I was friends with her before I met her son, my husband) but I wanted to honor my mom, too.
it can be so hard to meld traditions can’t it? Families sometimes need to learn the fine art of sharing. One year one side, the next year the other side. It’s how we do it in my family.
Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are a couple of those odd holidays that you do a great job of talking about. For some, they are huge and for others non-existent. I think you do a great job of reminding us that just because the day may not be celebrated huge doesn’t mean that your position and job as Mother is not important and well appreciated.
Thank you Miss Lori. Recognition doesn’t enhance or diminish importance does it?