Thursday, May 7, 2015

May 7, 2015

"Honor your father and your mother........"

Pictures really do say more than a thousand words!
Here is a pictorial tribute to a mothers love!

Here are some Magnificent Moms!

So many of us have been spoiled on our mother’s love.  So much that we don’t realize how much love they really had for us.  We don’t realize how much they did for us.  We can’t comprehend what they would do for us. Whether it be as dramatic as this image of the Israeli woman shielding her son while rockets were being shot into her town during the Gaza war…

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… or small acts, like this mother getting wet while her son holds the umbrella…


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 … or this 97 year old mother who has been feeding and taking care of her 60 year old paralyzed son every day for 19 years…

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…it can be so easy to forget just how much a mother gives, and how much she is willing to give.  How much she loves. 

Is there something you need to say to your mother?

May 8, 2015

Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.  They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.” Proverbs 1:8-9

Last Sunday I taught Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan as a visual illustration of what it looks like to love people to life!

I encourage you to read it again this week! Chapters 9 and 10 of Luke’s Gospel are very inspiring!

In Jesus’ story, there are five outstanding traits that stood out in the Good Samaritan’s loving response to the badly beaten man on the Road from Jerusalem to Jericho.

First, he saw the needy man!

What distinguished this Samaritan was that he saw with his heart not just with his eyes! The priest and the levite noticed the needy man but felt no compassion for him and passed him by.

Second, he stopped for the needy man!

While the two religious leaders crossed the road and walked past the suffering man, the despised Samaritan stopped to lend assistance.

Third, he served the needy man!

While the “professional servants” hurried by the scene of the crime, the Samaritan stopped and attended to his needs!

Fourth, he sacrificed for the needy man!

While the priest and the levite were too busy to be bothered with the needy man, the Samaritan generously met the needs out of his own pocket!

He sacrificed his time by stopping to help. He risked his safety by stopping to help the man. And then he paid two days wages to cover the immediate care for the injuries and then promised to cover and additional expenses!

Fifth, he stayed involved with the need man!

Not only did the Samaritan interrupt this trip to help the needy man but he promised to do the same on his return trip! He didn’t settle for meeting the urgent immediate needs of this man, but was committed to his complete healing and long-term health!

What a clear and compelling picture of how to love people to life!

And remember, after telling this powerful parable Jesus said, “You go and do likewise!”

Reflecting back on this story and thinking about my Mother’s Day message it dawned on me, “The way this Samaritan loved is EXACTLY how mothers love!

Mothers see!

Long before HD television and all the high tech visual devises, my mom had MOM VISION! See saw needs before we knew we had them! She didn’t miss a thing! She has eyes in the back of her head but she saw with her heart!

We honor our Magnificent Moms for the way they see our needs – with eyes AND hearts of love!

Mothers stop!

Dads always seem to be too busy, Moms never are! They make you feel very important because they stop what they are doing to attend to your need!

We honor our Magnificent Moms because they see our needs and they stop to meet them!

Moms Serve!

Mom’s meet needs like no one else. There few hurts that can’t be healed by a Mother’s kiss or a problems that can’t be solved by a Mother’s hug!

We honor our Magnificent Moms for the way they see our needs, stop to meet them and serve us.

Moms Sacrifice!

It is practically redundant to say “Mom” and “sacrifice” in the same sentence. Sacrifice is what they do! It is their default position! It is easier for a Mom to sacrifice than not to! If you had to count all the sacrifices your Mom has made for you there may not be enough zeroes!

Moms Stay Involved!

Mom has always been keenly interested and involved in my life – when I was 6 days old, 6 years old, 16 years old and even in my 60’s, it doesn’t change! The same is true of your Mom! And if you are a Mom it is true of you as well!

Moms are worthy of our honor because of their magnificent love! They love according to the pattern Jesus illustrated in His story of the Good Samaritan! I can’t wait until Sunday to shower our Magnificent Moms with praise!