Today is Mothers’ Day 2024…..the day that we honor our mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and special friends who have filled our lives with love and joy throughout our lives. So first, I would like to say, HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY to all mothers and mother figures who may be reading this. Many of us may have our mother from birth who then raised us. But some may have other people who serve as a mother for them. Any of the people listed above can serve as mother figures for us. We may have an aunt that we are extra close to, or a big sister who practically raised us, or a grandmother or great-grandmother who raised us when our mother could not. We may have a mother who adopted us, and raised us from birth, and is truly just as much a mother as any blood could ever make her. No matter who you consider your “mother”, let me suggest that you show her honor today, and every day of the year. Whether we still have our mothers with us, or they have passed from this life, the impact that our mothers have on our lives is second to no other human impact.

Since today is the day that is set aside in our country for us to honor all mothers , I would like to focus on what it means to honor our mothers. Well….first and foremost, we should honor our mothers for bringing us into this world. We know that God “formed our inward parts” (Psalm 139:13) in our mothers’ womb, but it is our mothers who went through all the travails of pregnancy, labor, and delivery to bring us into this world. So we should definitely honor them for that. Then, there is the love and care that our mothers have given us since birth. And by mothers, I mean the woman or women who raised us, whether that was your birth mother or not. Proverbs 31 tells a story of a virtuous woman. It tells of how hard this woman works for her family, but not only her family, but for the less fortunate people around her. She is a perfect rendition of what a wife and mother should be. And this chapter is a perfect way to honor this wife and mother. In Proverbs 31:28, Solomon says, “Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:” To me….as a mother and wife myself…..nothing could ever make me feel more honored than for my children and husband to feel this way about me. Of course, if I want them to feel this way about me, then I need to strive to be that woman in Proverbs 31. Fellow moms out there…..will we be perfect? No, we won’t. But we should all strive to be that Proverbs 31:28  mom whose children rise up in respect for her and call her blessed. But…maybe your mom has made some big mistakes that have affected your life in a negative way. Maybe your childhood was dysfunctional because of her mistakes. Can you forgive her? Can you show her grace? Maybe you have already forgiven her. Maybe you just can’t right now. Maybe you have forgiven her in your heart, but a relationship with her is simply not possible at this time. Maybe it won’t ever be possible. But guess what…you can still pray for your mom. You can still thank God for the mom who gave birth to you. But more than that, you can learn from her mistakes, and you can start a new legacy in your family by striving to be that godly mother in Proverbs 31:28 for your children. 

So……how is the best way to honor our mothers? I believe that the best way to honor our mothers is with the lives that we live. From my perspective, my mom raised me to be a Christian. She set forth that example for me every single day. I am so thankful to her for that. I want to honor her with my Christian life. I am so grateful that I still have her, and can treasure her for as long as I have her here with me. And really….all that I want from my children is for them to honor me through the lives that they live. I tried my best to raise my children to be faithful Christians, and I’m so thankful that they both are faithful Christians. Was I a perfect mother? Nope. At times I missed the mark badly. And I am so thankful to my children for showing me grace for the times that I messed up, or wasn’t the best example for them. I’m so thankful for the way each of them love and care for me every day. 

In reality, there is no perfect mother, because we are all imperfect humans. But we should all strive to be the Proverbs 31:28  mother……and to be a mother like Samuel’s mother, Hannah, who was willing to give him up, to even be able to have him at all. We all know what a special person Hannah had to be in order to keep her promise to God, and give her baby boy back to God. But she also knew that God must have had some big plans for Samuel. And boy did He ever! Samuel grew into an amazing servant for God. God knew that Hannah had the heart to do what needed to be done in order for Samuel to become the great prophet and judge that God needed him to be. (1 Samuel 1) She was a woman of integrity who put God first. As moms, isn’t that exactly what God wants us to be……women of integrity who put God first in front of our children. I hope if you are a mother that you are having a blessed day today as well as every day after today. I hope you are getting all the honor that you deserve. If you are someone who might be taking your mom for granted or neglecting her feelings, please STOP and THINK. There will be a time when you won’t have her. Everyone…..please…..honor your mom, not only today, but everyday. She is a big part of the person you are today. Love you all! 

Oh…..P.S…..There is one more way to honor your mom/mom figure! Spend time with her. Make time with her. If you can’t get to her in person, call her…..text her…..do what you can to let her know that you still need her and that you appreciate her. Everyone is busy, but she deserves your time. Remember, you mean everything to her. Oh and there is this really cool thing called facetime!! Facetime your mom!! Again, Happy Mothers’ Day! Love y’all!