HONOR YOUR MOTHER

Categories: Straight from the Word

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By Bro. Eddie C. Villanueva
Friends Magazine Hong Kong
May 2011 edition

 

One day, a teacher gave her pupils a lesson about magnets. The next day, she gave them a written test that included the question, “My name has six letters, beginning with the letter M, and I pick up things. What am I?” When the test papers were handed back to her, the teacher was surprised to find that half of her class answered the question with the word MOTHER.

While mothers pick up our litters, soiled clothes, empty plates, and even broken hearts, they do more than that. They are also our teachers, doctors, and guardians. And with the changing times, most mothers also have become full-time providers for their families. Cliché, but true: There’s nothing in the world that a mother wouldn’t do if it were for her family.

Hence a mother’s love cannot be underrated or overstated. In fact, one of the best names that we can give to love is Mom. Even the sages agree.

The New Century Version Bible honors a godly mother in Proverbs 31:26-31: “She speaks wise words and teaches others to be kind. She watches over her family and never wastes her time. Her children speak well of her. Her husband also praises her, saying, “There are many fine women, but you are better than all of them.” Charm can fool you, and beauty can trick you, but a woman who respects the Lord should be praised. Give her the reward she has earned; she should be praised in public for what she has done.”

As the world celebrates Mothers’ Day this May, let us not forget to thank God for our biological mothers and all the women who have been a mother to us, one way or another. This is an equally true and faithful saying: “While there are mothers who nurture kids in their wombs, there are also those who give birth to sons and daughters in their hearts.”

The following beautiful story was sent to me via email. I thought the timing is perfect to share the same with you.

My mom only had one eye. I hated her… She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students and teachers to support the family.

There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed.

How could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school one of my classmates said, ‘EEEE, your mom only has one eye!’

I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom to just disappear. I confronted her that day and said, ‘If you’re only gonna make me a laughing stock, why don’t you just die?’

 

My mom did not respond… I didn’t even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to her feelings.

I wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her. So I studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study.

Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. I had kids of my own. I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one day, my Mother came to visit me. She hadn’t seen me in years and she didn’t even meet her grandchildren.

When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her, and I yelled at her for coming over uninvited. I screamed at her, ‘How dare you come to my house and scare my children!’ GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!’

And to this, my mother quietly answered, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address,’ and she disappeared out of sight.

One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.

My neighbors said that she died. I did not shed a single tear. They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.

My dearest son,

I think of you all the time. I’m sorry that I came to your house and scared your children.I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you. I’m sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up.

You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn’t stand watching you having to grow up with one eye. So I gave you mine.

I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.

With all my love to you,

Your mother.’

 

Let us not lose sight of the fact that, even at the brink of death on the Cross, our Lord Jesus Christ never neglected His mother in the flesh. At the point of His most excruciating pain, our Lord Jesus lovingly thought of Mary and fully entrusted her – not just to anybody but – to the disciple He most loved.

Today and always, let us do exactly as our Lord Jesus did. Let us be mindful of our mothers and let us do for them the things that will assure them of our love, commitment, and devotion. They are not merely pick-me-up-magnets, but loved ones who also need some pick-me-up-moments with us.

How well do you honor your mother?

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