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Mary witnessed the crucifixion from the foot
of the cross. Can you even imagine how she must’ve felt?
Jesus turns to John and says, take care of
her, and looks at his mother and says, let him stand in my place as your
son. John lived a very long life, and I believe he took care of Mary until
she went to heaven.
Jesus is on the cross, bearing the weight of
the sins of the whole world on His shoulders, yet He sees to it to make sure
His mother is taken care of after He is gone! As God, Jesus is dealing w/
eternal matters, but as a man, He’s showing all of us today how important it
is to take care and love our mothers!
You cannot be willfully
wrong with your mother and be right with God.
If your mother is still alive, regardless of your and her ages, you can love
her in these 7 ways:
1. Love her
verbally.
Esp. men have the philosophy—I don’t have to
say I love you, you already know it. I have told you before, if I change my
mind I’ll let you know! Or, I SHOW love, not just say it…and that may be
true, but a woman needs to hear those words, “I Love You!”
Children need to hear it…and saying it makes
you more of a man, not less! And spouses need to hear it too…
DEAR ABBY:
I enlisted shortly after Pearl Harbor. Thirty-six days later, I was on my
way to the Philippines. En route, the Philippines fell to the Japanese, and
we were routed to Australia. Eleven days after we landed, I met the most
beautiful girl in the world.
On our first date, I told her I was going to
marry her. I did, 18 months later, while on a 10-day R-and-R leave from New
Guinea.
After more than 57 years of marriage and two
children, my beloved "Mary" died five days before Christmas. Although we
agreed that our ashes were to be scattered over the mountains, I found I
could not part with hers.
While Mary was alive, she would frequently
say, "You don't know how much I love you." I'd reply, "Likewise." I never
said, "I love you." Now her ashes are on my dresser, where I tell her
several times a day how much I love her, but it's too late. Although I wrote
poetry to her, I could not bring myself to say the three words I knew she
wanted most to hear.
As my dearest was dying and we thought she
was comatose, I told her, "There aren't enough words to tell you how much I
love you." A few hours later, she whispered, "Not enough words" and died.
The reason I'm writing is to urge men to
express their feelings while their loved ones are alive. I don't know why,
but many men are reluctant to express the depth of their feelings. --
MISSING MARY IN COLORADO
Our spouses need to hear it, our children…our
mothers also!
Some men would say, I’m just not
turned that way…then turn around! “I’m just not comfortable”…then be
uncomfortable!
Verbally…
2. Love her
physically.
When’s the last time you gave her a big hug
w/ out her asking for it…or a kiss on the cheek, or a neck rub, or just sat
on the couch and held her for a change?
She’s the first person who ever
touched you…she wrapped you up in her womb for months, and you came out and
first priority was to hold you, and she cuddled you, stroked your head,
rubbed your feet, held your little cheeks against her, gave you a finger to
grasp…in love she did all these things, including grooming you w/ a licked
thumb!
When you were little she could say,
“give me sugar”, and you’d pucker up and she’d accept your wet, sloppy kiss
and even say thank you! You give her bear hugs so tight she didn’t have to
hold on to you…you’d just cling to her as she walked around!
She changed your diapers, potty
trained you, and held the Kleenex for you to blow your nose! She wiped food
off of your face years longer than she should have had to!
She constantly touched you! And she may have
to hand you off to another, and her life may endure some heavy changes, but
she deserves your touch and should never have to give that up completely!
It would mean more to her than flowers or
candy, or eating out, or a diamond necklace [well, let’s not go too far!]
I had to tell my wife the other day about
several other ladies pawing at me. I had just come from a visit at the
nursing home!…I’ve spent countless hours in those places and when this
ruddy, Opie faced kid walks in there’s not a single instance in which some
of those precious old ladies don’t try to reach out and touch me, a total
stranger! You can tell, she’s starved for that simple, innocent brand of
physical love.
Physically, verbally…
3. Love her
patiently.
Mothers have an incredible job w/ no pay. No
position in the business world compares to the physical, emotional, and
spiritual commitment she has in motherhood.
No Occupation
She rises up at break of day and through her
tasks she races.
She cooks the meals as best she may and
scrubs the children’s faces
While schoolbooks, lunches, homework too, all
need consideration...
And yet the census man insists
She has— “No Occupation”
When breakfast dishes all are done
She bakes a pudding, maybe.
She cleans the rooms up, one by one,
With one eye watching baby.
The mending pile she then attacks
by way of variation.
And yet the census man insists
She has — “No Occupation.”
She irons for a little while, then presses
pants for Daddy.
She welcomes with a cheery smile returning
lass and laddie.
A hearty dinner next she cooks (no time for
relaxation),
And yet the census man insists
She has—“No Occupation.”
Don’t ever make the mistake of asking a lady,
Do you work, or stay at home? The only thing worse you can ask is when
she’s due if you’re not 100% sure she’s expecting! And many ladies today
have to work on top of the full time job they already have.
Here’s the point,
in spite of all she does for us, we often
become impatient with her…we get so used to her taking care of
things we come to expect it and are outraged that “those clothes are still
dirty?” / that’s not ironed? / you’re out of my favorite cookies? / you know
I like that over rice, where is it?
She’s picking you up at school because you
don’t like to ride the bus, but she’s scolded for being 5 minutes late!
Love her patiently.
Because she’s tender to your needs
is no reason to take advantage of her, it’s reason to be patient and
to love her all the more!
Teens / jr. ch. agers: it is unfair for you
to be more kind, considerate, patient w/ your friends and your friend’s
mothers than your own mother!
If you treated your friends like you
treat your mom you wouldn’t have friends, and if you treated their
mom like you do yours their mom wouldn’t let their kid have anything
to do with you! Your mom deserves better…she’s not a rug to wipe every
negative thought on!
For us adults w/ living mothers: Love her
patiently.
Dobson read on Focus on Family Radio—letter
from 80 yr. old woman on her birthday:
To all my children:
I suppose my upcoming birthday started my thoughts along these lines...This
is a good time to tell you that what I truly want are things I can never get
enough of, yet they are free. I want the intangibles.
I would like for you to come and sit with me, and for you to be relaxed. We
can talk, or we can be silent. I would just like for us to be together.
I need your patience when I don’t hear what you say the first time. I know
how tiresome it is to always be repeating, but sometimes I must ask you to
repeat. I need your patience when I think too much about the past, with my
slowness and my set ways. I want you to be tolerant with what the years have
done to me physically.
Please be understanding about my personal care habits. I spill things. I
lose things. I get unduly excited when I try to figure out my bank
statements. I can’t remember what time to take my medication, or if I
took it already. I take too many naps. Sometimes sleep helps to pass the
day.
Well, there you have it: Time, Patience, and Understanding. Those are
priceless gifts that I want. Finally, in his letter, the Apostle Paul
wrote, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” I know I
can, too! It’s a wonderful feeling to know His eye is on the sparrow and I
know He cares for me. I guess being old isn’t so bad after all!
Love,
Mom
Patiently…
4. Love her
attentively.
Mothers listen as you pour out your heart…she
has a sympathetic ear, and always has…and even as an adult you’ve gone to
her when you want someone who will really listen and understand…and she’ll
always be on your side.
Ill.—documentary last year of men going to
execution for capital crimes. They interviewed the men and their mothers,
too. Invariably the moms would say, He’s such a good boy! Interviewer:
yes, but he slaughtered 37 w/ an axe!... “I know, but he has a good heart!”
It’s no wonder we like to talk to mom…she
listens…but now she has issues, and now it’s your turn to be her “rock”…and
take time to listen…it’s payback
time!
“But, she’s always complaining”…yes, just
like you did!
Talks about herself / asks same question over
and over…
In their older days, our parents have many
fears / anxieties…may we treat them as we’d hope to be treated when we
are in their shoes!
Attentively, patiently…
5. Love her
gratefully.
Ill.—An elementary science class had been
studying magnets, and how metal objects are attracted to them. At the end
of the semester the teacher put on exam this question: 6 letters, starts w/
“M”, picks up things, what am I? Over half the children wrote [say it
together...] “Mother”!
She needs a sincere thank you, and not just
today, but from a genuinely thankful heart when least expected!
A few years ago Kimberly’s dad sat us down
and said, “You all are living the best days of your life right now, because
you have your children and your parents.” It caused us to realize 2
truths: one about our parents:, and how we won’t always have them.
And another about our children:…let’s be the kind of parents we ought
to be!
6. Love her
generously.
There’s nothing too good for her, we could
never repay her, but we ought to die trying before she does! She didn’t
spend on herself unless all your needs were met…she could easily do without,
and now it’s time for her to have something she wants!
She clears her schedule so she can
run you around…she gives up opportunities so you can have more
opportunities!
Ill.—math question, state your answer as a
fraction: If there’s 10 at the table and one apple pie, how much does each
one get? One ninth! / “Don’t you know your fractions?”/ “Do you know my
mother? If there’s that many at the table and only one pie, she don’t want
none!”
Love her generously…
7. Love her
honorably.
Exodus 20:12
Honour thy father and thy mother: that
thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
This is binding
as long as your mother lives.
Another command says children, obey…non-binding when you leave home, but
“honor” is different! If the husband is the head of the home, then the
mother is the heart...don’t break her heart!
“Yeah, but my mother wasn’t honorable!”
Well, the Bible says nothing about that qualification…it only asks, is she
your mother!
By the way,
it’s the only one of the 10
commandments which includes a built-in promise of blessing!
When God created
mothers
When the good Lord
created mothers, He was into His sixth day of overtime, when an angel
appeared and said,
"You're doing a lot
of fiddling around on this one."
The Lord replied,
"have you seen the specs on this order? She has to be completely washable,
but not plastic; Have 180 moveable parts ... all replaceable; Run on black
coffee and leftovers; Have a lap that disappears when she stands up; A kiss
that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointing love affair; And
six pair of hands."
The angel shook her
head slowly and said, "Six pair of hands? No way!"
"It's not the hands
that are causing me problems," said the Lord. "It's the three pair of eyes
that mothers have to have.
"One pair that sees
through closed doors when she asks 'What are you kids doing in there?' when
she already knows. Another in the back of her head that sees what she
shouldn't, but what she needs to know, and of course the ones in front that
look at a child when he goofs up and say, 'I understand and I love you,'
Without so much as uttering a word. "I'm so close to creating something so
close to myself. Already, I have one who heals herself when she is sick
...can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger ...and get a nine year
old to stand under a shower. Not only can she think, she can reason and
compromise."
Finally, the angel
bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the mother. "There's a
leak," she pronounced, "I told you that you were trying to put too much in
this model."
"That's not a leak,"
said the Lord, "it's a tear."
"What is it for?"
asked the angel.
The Lord replied,
"It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness and pride."
"You're a genius!"
shouted the angel.
With a somber look
on his face, the Lord said, "I didn't put it there."
How about a hand now for the crowning jewel
of God’s creation: our mothers!
Lord, help us never to be too busy for mom…if
you could take time and great effort for her on the cross in your death,
help us to love her while we have her in our life!
All Sermons and Slideshow Presentations Copyright Jerry
Shirley and Grace Notes Ministries unless otherwise credited.
