OK, so Mother’s Day isn’t until Sunday…but I wanted to give a shout out to all the moms & say thanks for all that you do!!!
There is a story in Scripture that has taken on new meaning for me because of something Cherie Duffey, our pre-school director, shared once in a meeting.
Stay with me…
There is one miracle that appears in all four Gospels—the one where Jesus fed 5,000 men with five loaves and two fish. What is unique about that miracle is that it was made possible by a boy who had a lunch—and because he gave that lunch Jesus did a miracle.
BUT…have you ever had this thought, “Where did that boy get his lunch?”
This made me think of my elementary school days. I would wake up and go through my routine for getting ready for school…come into the kitchen & watch my mom make my lunch and then put it in my super cool Star Wars lunch box!!! My mom made my lunch just about every day for me…
SO…I wonder…what if the same thing took place with the little boy who gave Jesus the loaves and the fish? What if the boy got up and had some things to do that day…and when he went into his kitchen he saw his mother packing his lunch into his super cool David and Goliath lunch box! :-)
Now the mother probably thought, “It’s just a lunch, no big deal;” however, what she didn’t understand was that because of what she was doing behind the scenes that she was setting her son up to be a part of the only miracle to be recorded in every Gospel. Because of her willingness to do what she did—God moved!!!
Being a mother can seem unrewarding at times…changing diapers, late night feedings, helping with homework…the list goes on. However, my encouragement to moms is to hang in there and understand that because of your willingness to do what you do that you are setting your children up for miracles.
Take my mom for instance. I only had the pleasure of knowing her for 12 years. BUT—the things I saw her do behind the scenes made a difference in my life!!!
She took me to church every week. Now, I have admitted before that I hated it—but still, she wanted me to know how important going to church was. AND…I honestly believe that the love I have for the church comes as a result of the Lord using her to lead me there so often when I was a child.
I saw her read the Bible every morning…she was always hungry to hear from God. AND…that impacted me in a tremendous way. Every morning I have my time with the Lord…a habit that I first learned by watching my mother.
Mothers—everything you do matters. And I want to say thank you for the “behind the scenes” work that you do. I put behind the scenes in quotes because, actually, I don’t think it is as off the radar as you might think. I think God sees! I think heaven applauds! I think Jesus smiles. BECAUSE all heaven knows that the work that you are doing, your willingness to “pack a lunch,” is setting up your child to accomplish GREAT things for God’s kingdom!!!
I know as I look back on my relationship with my mother…I am SO thankful for her persistence in taking me to church…her willingness to meet with God every morning…and the time she spent with me. There have been miracles that have taken place in my life that God used my mother to set the foundation for. And, when I get to heaven…after seeing Jesus…the first person I want to see is my mother…I want to say “thank you,” and I want to feel her hug me again…God USED her in my life. AND mother’s—God is using you in the same way—keep your eyes on Jesus, love your child…pack some lunches, PRAY…and watch God do miracles.