We were gone all day yesterday, and my brain is in a bit of a fog this morning, so Menu Plan Monday will be delayed until later on today. In the meantime, I want to congratulate “W” and “D” for winning the giveaway notecards. They commented on encouragement last week. I couldn’t bring myself conduct a drawing with two names, so they each will receive a set of notecards. Congratulations, ladies!
I hope you mothers enjoyed a nice day yesterday. I had a lovely weekend. My family made dinner for me Saturday evening. I don’t know which I enjoyed most – the meal or not having to cook and clean up! It was all great.
Yesterday we went to visit my mom. We kids made lunch so Mama wouldn’t have to. It was a wonderful visit and a lovely day.
I went to church with my mom yesterday. The pastor’s wife delivered the Mother’s Day message. It was very good. I thought I would recap her thoughts for you here.
She began by speaking of the influential mother figures in her own life. As she listed them, I thought of the women who have influenced me in a motherly way. I have even encountered them in my adult life. I hope I continue to do so.
First and foremost, a Godly mother needs to pray for her children. Not only should she pray for them, she needs to pray with them. By doing this, for even the least things, we teach our children that we can always turn to the Lord with our concerns.
Next, a Godly mother needs to exercise patience. God is patient (boy, is He) with us, so why can’t we be patient with our children? Patience is a fruit of the Spirit, and probably one of the more difficult ones to produce. This point reminded me of my favorite Bible verse, and the one on which this blog is named, Lamentations 3:22, 23:
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Finally, a Godly mother needs to praise her children and exercise grace towards them. Remember the positive things. Teach with the negative ones. There will always be a need for discipline, but a child who knows he is loved and who has been trained properly will know that discipline is a consequence of poor behavior, not a slam on them personally.
The underlying theme of these three points is that Godly mothers must be a living example for their children. If we don’t demonstrate prayer, patience and praise in front of them, how will they learn? God has demonstrated those things for us.
The speaker closed with Psalm 103:8-14, wherein she substituted the word “mother” for God:
A mother is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. She will not always accuse, nor will she harbor her anger forever; she does not treat her children as their sins deserve or repay them according to their iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is a mother’s love for her children; as far as the east is from the west, so far has she forgotten her children’s wrongdoings. As the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; so does a mother have compassion on her children, for she knows how they were formed, she remembers that they are dust.
That speaks volumes, doesn’t it?
Thanks for stopping by. Check back later for Menu Plan Monday.
I Samuel 15-16; Psalm 101; Mark 11:27-33; II Corinthians 6
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