On Sunday, we will tip our hats to one of the most precious gifts that God ever gave to man, one to whom there is no other that can be compared, and that’s the gift we call a mother. Sunday will be Mother’s Day — a day that has been set aside to recognize mothers on a national level everywhere.
It’s a time to pay tribute to those who are the backbone of our nation; the ones that birthed all of us into the world. The one thing we all have in common is that we all have (or had) a mother. On this Mother’s Day weekend the world would be a sad place and life would take on very little meaning if it were not for the mother.
Like a fragrance in June, mothers perfume the room; like the great morning light, they turn darkness into light; like roses are red, like flowers on a bed you are the sunshine of the world.
Mothers, you light up the world and give it a sweet smelling aroma. How could we make it without you? We are here today because of you. Mothers, you give us so much; warm our hearts with your tender touch; you put up with us on our worst day; see us no different no matter what we do or say; we can turn to you any time of day and you are always there.
Mothers, we love you! We salute you. There is nobody like you, for there is nothing like “a mother’s love.” Apart from Christ, nobody can love us like you can; you give so much of yourself.
This Sunday is dedicated to you.
Now community, let me talk about a mother. The mother carries the child for nine months, sometimes less if the child is premature. The child is a pain at birth, and sometimes when the child grows up it is a pain after birth. But the mother loves it just the same. The mother carries the child in her womb, and sometimes after it is born she carries the child on her heart. They will give their very last; they do without things that they need for their children; they are the only ones that can fuss at them and still love them at the same time.
No hour is too late; no distance is too far; no amount of money is too much when it comes to their children. Whenever you need them they are always there. They love us unconditionally. Some of us can say she made us go to Sunday School and made us learn the Golden Rule. A lot of us have to admit that we would not have made it had it not been for our mother; we are who we are because of our mother.
There are not enough gifts in the world to bestow upon them; not enough money in the world to pay them — so all we want to say is thank you and we love you — and I hope that every child who has a living mother will in a tangible way express that love to their mother on Mother’s Day.
I hope, community, that you take the time to call your mother and wish her a “Happy Mother’s Day!” I hope that you already have plans to take them out to dinner or at least prepare dinner for her. Just LOVE on them, and if you are like me and your mother is gone, thank God for leaving her here as long as He did. But if she’s living, treat her right, because the world is a lonely place without her. They leave a void that nothing else can fill and it’s not the same without them; for there is nothing like “a Mother’s love.”
But now I must also say that there is more to being a mother than carrying the name. For there are mothers, and then there are good mothers; and I encourage every mother to strive to be a good one. I encourage all mothers to model after Hannah — first of all Hannah was a praying mother; she wanted a child so bad until she went up to the temple and prayed for one (1 Sam. 1:9-11). Mothers, there are women that for whatever reason cannot have a child; women in scripture like Sarah (Gen. 16:1), Rebecca (Gen. 25:21), Rachel (Gen. 30:1) Samson’s mother (Judges 13:2) or fast forward to Elizabeth (Luke 1:7).
But God looked on the affliction of His children and took away their approach; and all of them ended up having a child — and we have mothers today that can have children but don’t want them. Community, it troubles my heart to hear about mothers that drown their children; that leave them in garbage dumps, on doorsteps; mothers that abuse and traumatize their children; young mothers that put men before their children.
But men come and go. Mother’s, it’s God first, children second and everything a distant third.
And then I hate to see mothers that party with their children; drinking alcohol and doing drugs with their children trying to be their children’s friend, instead of being their children’s mother. Children need a mother; they have friends at school or at work. Therefore, I encourage all mothers to give your life to Jesus Christ; it is only then that you can be the mother that God wants you to be.
Mothers, enjoy your day; we all love you; you are “sunshine” on a cloudy day. Happy Mother’s day!
The Rev. George Ellis is pastor at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church.
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