As “Mother’s Day”, 2019 rolls around, I thought I would share a very convicting story posted by the good folks over at www.Ministry127.com. It seems that…
President Abraham Lincoln once summoned an Army surgeon to the White House. The major assumed that he was to be commended for some exceptional work. During the conversation, Mr. Lincoln asked the major about his widowed mother. “She is doing fine,” he responded.
“How do you know?” asked Lincoln. “You haven’t written her; but she has written me.” Lincoln continued, “She thinks that you are dead; and she is asking that a special effort be made to return your body.”
At that, the Commander-in-Chief placed a pen in the young doctor’s hand and ordered him to write a letter letting his mother know that he was alive and well.
My own mother passed away on May 23, 2018. At the time, Mother’s Day, which fell on May 13, 2018, had already passed. Consequently, Mother’s Day of this year (May 12, 2019) will be unique for several reasons.
Obviously, it will be the first time my sisters and I have ever faced a Mothers’ Day without her presence here in our midst. It will also be the first Mother’s Day in my adult life when I have not sent her flowers, a card, and/or a gift – all of which have been followed up by a personal phone call.
In the fifth of the famed “Ten Commandments” (first found in the Old Testament Book of Exodus, chapter 20, verse 12), the Holy Bible admonishes us to “honor our mother”. The Book of Proverbs (in chapter 31, verse 28) underscores this admonition by reminding us that the children of a virtuous woman rightly “arise and call her blessed”.
For my part, I am now more thankful than ever before that, to the best of my knowledge, whenever I was given the opportunity to honor my own mother on this special day, I was faithful to do so. I say this, not to sound braggadocios, but rather because I now no longer have the opportunity to do this very thing.
My mother is now in Heaven; and that time has passed. For my sake and hers, therefore, I am more thankful than ever before that whenever God prompted me to acknowledge and honor her while I had the opportunity, I found the time to respond as I should.
Are you in a similar situation to mine? Is your own mother no longer with you? Is she also now in Heaven? If so, then I hope you have a similar testimony to mine.
Conversely, is your own mother still alive? Is she still present in this world? If she is, then you might consider this very blog post a subtle reminder from God to seek her out this Mother’s Day weekend and to find some special way to honor her.
If the Lord tarries His return, then the day will surely come when you can no longer do this very thing! And take it from me, when that day comes, you will find yourself asking whether or not you did all you could to let her know just how much she meant to you!
STORY SOURCE:
http://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/write-your-mother.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/exodus/20-12.htm;
https://biblehub.com/proverbs/31-28.htm.
President Abraham Lincoln once summoned an Army surgeon to the White House. The major assumed that he was to be commended for some exceptional work. During the conversation, Mr. Lincoln asked the major about his widowed mother. “She is doing fine,” he responded.
“How do you know?” asked Lincoln. “You haven’t written her; but she has written me.” Lincoln continued, “She thinks that you are dead; and she is asking that a special effort be made to return your body.”
At that, the Commander-in-Chief placed a pen in the young doctor’s hand and ordered him to write a letter letting his mother know that he was alive and well.
My own mother passed away on May 23, 2018. At the time, Mother’s Day, which fell on May 13, 2018, had already passed. Consequently, Mother’s Day of this year (May 12, 2019) will be unique for several reasons.
Obviously, it will be the first time my sisters and I have ever faced a Mothers’ Day without her presence here in our midst. It will also be the first Mother’s Day in my adult life when I have not sent her flowers, a card, and/or a gift – all of which have been followed up by a personal phone call.
In the fifth of the famed “Ten Commandments” (first found in the Old Testament Book of Exodus, chapter 20, verse 12), the Holy Bible admonishes us to “honor our mother”. The Book of Proverbs (in chapter 31, verse 28) underscores this admonition by reminding us that the children of a virtuous woman rightly “arise and call her blessed”.
For my part, I am now more thankful than ever before that, to the best of my knowledge, whenever I was given the opportunity to honor my own mother on this special day, I was faithful to do so. I say this, not to sound braggadocios, but rather because I now no longer have the opportunity to do this very thing.
My mother is now in Heaven; and that time has passed. For my sake and hers, therefore, I am more thankful than ever before that whenever God prompted me to acknowledge and honor her while I had the opportunity, I found the time to respond as I should.
Are you in a similar situation to mine? Is your own mother no longer with you? Is she also now in Heaven? If so, then I hope you have a similar testimony to mine.
Conversely, is your own mother still alive? Is she still present in this world? If she is, then you might consider this very blog post a subtle reminder from God to seek her out this Mother’s Day weekend and to find some special way to honor her.
If the Lord tarries His return, then the day will surely come when you can no longer do this very thing! And take it from me, when that day comes, you will find yourself asking whether or not you did all you could to let her know just how much she meant to you!
STORY SOURCE:
http://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/write-your-mother.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/exodus/20-12.htm;
https://biblehub.com/proverbs/31-28.htm.