Tomorrow We Celebrate Mother’s Day in Worship!!
Mother’s Day is much more than a Hallmark occasion. Like Thanksgiving, it is a time set aside to remember the person to whom each of us owes a special debt of gratitude. My late friend and colleague, Dr. Arthur Harvey preached for me on a Mother’s Day Sunday several years ago when Cinda and I were gone. His sermon title was 10 Things I Learned from My Mother. In it he shared 10 passages from scripture that were his mother’s favorites and shaped both her life, Arthur’s and his siblings. I am certain everyone who was in church was blessed and suspect several people still remember one or more of the 10 passages he shared.
The impact of our mothers on all of us is far reaching. Social scientists are continually learning just how powerful and vital a mother’s love is for the healthy development and adjustment of each of us. It is certainly not the only factor but it is a very important one.
There is perhaps no more difficult and challenging role than that of a mother. And none of us had a “perfect” mother. All of them have their flaws and shortcomings. In other words, every mother is human. (Although some have been graced by such extraordinary mothers, they might argue the point.)
I confess it took me nearly 50 years to recognize my own mother’s specialness. She was tough in many ways, some just part of her inherited “German Genes” and a great deal because of the trauma of growing up as a teenage girl in WWII Germany. I think of her now with a mixture of awe, wonder, and appreciation. I am thankful I was able to share some of that with her in her later years.
My grandfather “smuggled” her to a convent in Belgium during the war to protect her from the SS troops who typically had they way with teenage girls. (He was sent to the Russian front at age 45 as punishment for being a good father). There she saved 2 little babies during an air-raid by covering them with her body during the bombing. She carried shrapnel in her hip for the rest of her life as a reminder of her life-saving deed.
She turned a sleepy, annual Saturday afternoon plant sale to raise funds for the Gladwyne Public Library into a major 3-day community event and all as a volunteer! Over the course of her 27-year leadership and involvement she raised hundreds of thousands of dollars that benefited the community and especially children.
Among the gifts my mother passed on to me were focus and determination, passion for a goal, a commitment to serving the community, and a resilience to never give up or quit. Thank you, mom!
For most of us, our mothers have entered life eternal. Don’t let that stop you. My hope and prayer for each of us this Mother’s Day, 2021, is you will have some quiet time to express your appreciation to your mother, as you remember and reflect on the impact she has had on your life.
Grace and Peace, John