May 10, 2020 Mother’s Day!

Today is Mother’s Day!  It turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day.  After I listened to Micah at Old Mahoning, Paul at River Hill, and Mike at Hempfield (I know – overly aggressive today!), I watched the mother’s day video that Hempfield Church posted as a tribute to mothers.  So many friends – quite a few no longer living.  I cried all the way through. But it was beautiful!  I decided it was too nice to stay inside, so I drove over the Buncher Park and walked a few miles on the Five Star.  I took my usual detour and walked up past my old neighborhood – Shady Lane – where I grew up.  I lived there from age 2 or 3 until age 24 when I married.  My room was the upstairs window. The houses are basically the same ones, but they have aged and weathered. It still brought back lovely memories of growing up there, neighborhood kids, play spaces, childhood adventures!  I even found the rock that I want for in my yard – anyone willing to bring it here for me ?? 🙂  Memories that no one can take away.  They leave a sweet fragrance in my mind.  My intention was to cut the grass, but the neighbor was having a safe, social distancing mother’s day lunch with her son’s family, and I knew mowing would make a racket.  So I trimmed some bushes, pulled some weeds, then listened to Patty Buschek play her piano tribute.  This is becoming a weekly event and I love listening to her play.  I was able to take Mom’s card and gift over to her at Kathy’s, and now I am home for the evening.  Didn’t accomplish much but had a full, busy day, and it was very nice. 

I decided I would share Paul’s message from River Hill, since he spoke about Mother’s Day.  Basically the message is about James and John’s mother, who asked Jesus if her sons could sit on the right and left of Jesus when he came into his kingdom.  I had always been let to think that she was pushing and forward for asking that of Jesus.  But Paul pointed out that she was brave and caring.  A mother’s job is to raise her children to be part of God’s kingdom; there is no more important task.  Their mom was worried that someone else would come along and push their way in to God’s good graces, and her sons would be pushed out.   She knew God’s teaching, and she knew God would give as much grace to a new believer as to a faithful disciple.  She also had big expectations for her sons.  She wanted them to have meaningful work to do in the kingdom, to take a stand and be leaders.  She sacrificed her own personal pride and agenda to approach Jesus – and that is a great example of Christ’s love.  Moms are basically agents for Jesus, helping their children stay close to God and be an active participant and worker in the kingdom.  The best thing we can do to honor our mother is to live a life worthy of God.  (My mom!!)

On this date in 1503 Christopher Columbus discovered the Cayman Islands.  In 1752 Benjamin Franklin tested his lightening conductor with a kite, and in 1869 the Golden Spike was driven, completing the first transcontinental railroad in Utah.  In 1924 J. Edgar Hoover became head of the F.B.I.  John Wilkes Booth was born in 1838, and Fred Astaire in 1899.  Paul Revere died at age 83 in 1818, and Stonewall Jackson died at age 39 from pneumonia in 1863. 

So the best gift you can give your mother is to live a life for Christ.  Make her proud!  She loves you!  God bless…