"Mothers make memories the heart keeps forever."
Today was another extraordinary Sunday at Anchor Baptist Church, made even sweeter by honoring mothers on this Mother’s Day. The special music was this side of heaven and the preaching was memorable.
It started with the congregation being asked to sing and consider the depth of the words of the hymn, "A Christian Home"
O give us homes built firm upon the Saviour,
Where Christ is Head, and Counsellor and Guide;
Where ev’ry child is taught His love and favor
And gives his heart to Christ, the crucified:
How sweet to know that tho’ his footsteps waver
His faithful Lord is walking by his side! O give us homes with godly fathers, mothers,
Who always place their hope and trust in Him;
Whose tender patience turmoil never bothers,
Whose calm and courage trouble cannot dim;
A home where each finds joy in serving others,
And love still shines, tho’ days be dark and grim. O give us homes where Christ is Lord and Master,
The Bible read, the precious hymns still sung;
Where prayer comes first in peace or in disaster,
And praise is natural speech to ev’ry tongue;
Where mountains move before a faith that’s vaster,
And Christ sufficient is for old and young. O Lord, our God, our homes are Thine forever!
We trust to Thee their problems, toil, and care;
Their bonds of love no enemy can sever
If Thou art always Lord and Master there:
Be Thou the center of our least endeavor:
Be Thou our Guest, our hearts and homes to share.
Next item was to poke a little fun at moms.
1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week!"4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
" Because I said so, that’s why."5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you’re not going to the store with me."6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident."7. My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I’ll give you something to cry about."8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You’ll sit there until all that spinach is gone."11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I’ve told you a million times. Don’t exaggerate!"13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don’t have wonderful parents like you do."16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don’t you think I know when you are cold?"20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me."21. My mother taught me HOW TO BE COME AN ADULT.
"If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up."22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You’re just like your father."23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you’ll understand."25. My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you".
Then our pastor went into a very serious discussion on honoring mothers, to the point where he said, "Mother’s Day is more than a day of honor, it’s also a day of owing… We owe our mothers."
1. By respect of the law. God requires us to do so. Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you." (the pastor reminded us that disobeying parents in the Old Testament, while we were under the law, that there was a serious penalty. Leviticus 20:9 ‘If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and his blood will be on his own head.’) There is no room of belittling of mom.
The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son grief to his mother.Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
They will be a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.My son, keep your father’s commands
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.Bind them upon your heart forever;
fasten them around your neck.When you walk, they will guide you;
when you sleep, they will watch over you;
when you awake, they will speak to you.For these commands are a lamp,
this teaching is a light,
and the corrections of discipline
are the way to life,2. By Respect of Love: God gives us a perfect illustration of this in John 19:
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
While Jesus was dying on the cross, being crucified and during his suffering, even in His last words, He had a desire to see that His mother was taken care of!
3. By Respect of Life – a life lived to honor them – "doing all to the Glory of God" making your mom glorified also.
4. By seeing her work worth blessings of praise:
Proverbs 31:2
" Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her."
Last, the pastor mentioned, short of the cross, no other sacrifice given on the face of this earth, can compare with what mom’s do for their children.
I love my mom, and I am a mom who dearly loves her children.
Happy Mother’s Day
