A MOTHER’S DAY PRAYER

God our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, we pray:
for expectant mothers, wondering and waiting;
for new mothers, coming to terms with new responsibility ;
for those who are tired, stressed or depressed;
for those who struggle to balance the tasks of work and family;
for those who are unable to feed their children due to poverty;
for those whose children have physical, mental or emotional disabilities;
for those who have children they do not want;
for those who raise children on their own;
for those who have lost a child;

for those who are estranged from their child;
for those who care for the children of others;
for those whose children have left home;
and for those whose desire to be a mother has not been fulfilled.
Bless all mothers, that their love may be deep and tender,
and that they may lead their children to know Your will and Your way,

and to do what is good and pleasing in Your sight,
living not for themselves alone, but for You and for others.

Give them grace and strength and hope in Christ.
Amen.   

 

-- Source Unknown  

#5857

A MOTHER’S LOVE

It seems an angel slipped out of heaven and spent the day roaming around on earth. As the sun was setting, he decided he wanted to take along some mementos of his visit. He noticed some lovely roses in a flower garden, plucked the rarest and most beautiful, and made a bouquet to take back to heaven.

Looking on a bit farther, he saw a beautiful little baby smiling at his mother's face. The baby's smile was even prettier than the bouquet of roses, so he took that, too. He was about to leave when he saw the mother's love pouring out like a gushing river toward the little baby in the cradle, and he said to himself, "Oh, that mother's love is the prettiest thing I have seen on earth; I will carry that, too."

He winged his way to heaven, but just outside the pearly gates he decided to examine his mementos to see how well they had made the trip. The flowers had withered, the baby's smile had faded, but the mother's love was still there in all its warmth and beauty. He discarded the withered flowers and the faded smile, gathered all the hosts of heaven around him, and said, "Here's the only thing I found on earth that would keep its beauty all the way to heaven -- it is a mother's love."

-- Unknown, quoted by Barbara Johnson in “So, Stick a Geranium in Your Hat and Be Happy!”

#5094

THE WITNESS OF MOTHERS

“These are the sayings that King Lemuel of Massa was taught by his mother. My son Lemuel, you were born in answer to my prayers, so listen carefully… Charm can be deceiving, and beauty fades away, but a woman who honors the LORD deserves to be praised. Show her respect -- praise her in public for what she has done."  (Proverbs 31:1-2, 29-30 CEV)

The Bible is filled with the accomplishments and witness of mothers who honored the Lord by devoting themselves to God, as they sacrificed, took risks, experienced heartache and loss, as well as the joy that comes from putting trust and hope in the Lord God.

Sarah and Elizabeth became mothers at an advanced age; Hagar served as a surrogate mother; Naomi became a grandmother following a time of hardship and family distress; Hannah promised that she would dedicate her child to the Lord; the events surrounding the birth and ministry of Jesus show His mother, Mary, at His side; unnamed mothers made bold requests on behalf of their children...

Two women who are great examples of passing on the gift of faith are Lois and Eunice, the grandmother and mother of Timothy, who then spread the faith throughout his life as a companion of Paul. It was these two women who instilled in Timothy the power of God by who they were and how they lived. Timothy's upbringing was grounded in the Holy Scriptures.

Therefore, on this Mother's Day, let us praise remarkable women of faith -- those from Scripture and those we have known face-to-face. It is because of them that we have been brought to a knowledge of life well-lived in the Lord.

-- The American Bible Society

#4839

THERE ARE NO PERFECT MOTHERS

“Charm can be deceiving, and beauty fades away, but a woman who honors the Lord deserves to be praised.”  (Proverbs 31:30 CEV)

Our society sees to it that we all grow up with the notion in our head that there were two kinds of mothers: good mothers and bad mothers. Good mothers are loving, nurturing, and all-giving. Bad mothers are self-absorbed, uncaring, and inadequate. Yet most real flesh-and-blood mothers are neither all good nor all bad. Most mothers I know want desperately to be their best selves -- full of love and genuine concern. Yet the absolute dependency and endless demands of a child require every mother to give, at times, without getting anything immediate or tangible in return. No other relationship calls for endless giving and attention like that of raising and caring for a child. We expect mothers to spend their lives caring selflessly for their children without complaint....

This coming Sunday... churches... will extol the virtues of motherhood. The poem about the tireless, self-sacrificing wife and mother in Proverbs 31:10-31 will be read from pulpits and every mother attending church will nod her head publicly in agreement but berate herself privately for every instance in her mothering when she failed to live up to the biblical ideal. [Mothers need to be reminded] that there are no perfect mothers, that God knows and understands how hard it is to be expected to give unceasingly with little to nothing in return.

-- Dr. Renita Weems

#4587