Dear Brian and Daily Audio Bible Listeners and Followers,
“Hello,” and once again, “Thank you Brian and staff for having such a wonderful and life changing ministry. Thank you for allowing questions, comments and prayers to be submitted at the Prayer Wall.
Well, OK…Here’s my comment…I am hoping that it makes sense ; please try to follow.
I absolutely CAN NOT stand Mother’s Day and here is why.
Mother’s Day is presented like a glossed over angelic Disney version of life. It is a statistical fact, that in the United States, Mother’s Day is the third highest attended church service..
In almost every church across America, there are going to be “special programs and/or performances by little children dressed up in their Easter outfits (That is if they haven’t outgrown them already.) to commemorate their mothers. The very thought of this traditional “Pie-In-The-Sky” fake Mother’s Day programming literally makes my stomach turn and I get very upset that this nonsense repeats year after year.
Why, do I hold this position, you may ask?
Dabbers, I will answer that question this way…
Wouldn’t it be great if on Mother’s Day pastors, preachers, evangelist, teachers, for once, stood up in front of the congregation of Christ-followers and non-followers, and said something like this ….”
Greetings visitors and good morning brothers and sisters. Today dear brothers and sisters…today we are going to break from tradition. Today, unlike other Mother’s Days here, we are not going to ask, ” Who in the congregation has the most children to please stand up.” Nor are we going to ask, “Who has the youngest child or who among us is a great-great- great-grandmother?” The children are not going to recite Mother’s Day poetry or sing lovely little songs. Believe it or not, I am not going to preach about my life growing up with my mother or grandmother. Today, we are going to be honest. We are going to to get to the core of some things. Yes, this is going to be a different Mother’s Day message. One that I hope will change the lives of many of you who are sitting here today. Hopefully, it will change the lives of those of you who have parents who are still alive. Maybe, it will change the life of you who are currently parents of small as well as adult children. And just, maybe, it will change the lives of some of you who are planning to be future parents. No, there will not be any children’s church today because I want everyone to be within my voice when I present this message this morning And I am hoping there will be honest dialog in your homes after this service.
There are many of you sitting in the pews right now who mothers that have passed away. But…to be honest and to get to the nitty-gritty heart of the matter…to be forthright , there are many of you who don’t have joyful, happy, pleasant memories of Mother’s Day. There are those of you who have or had mother’s who were or are emotionally and physically neglectful; they didn’t or don’t, for whatever reason, give you attention, love, hugs, kisses, etc that you need (ed) or deserve(d). Your mother may have left you to fend for yourself, treating you like a miniature adult. Maybe they treat(ed) you like a piece of furniture, they knew you were there but didn’t bother to engage in conversation with you. Maybe, there were too many children and she just didn’t have the time, energy or didn’t want to be bothered with you. There could have been times when you wanted to ask questions, as children often do, and she didn’t have the answers or didn’t care to answer, because she was empty herself and she didn’t care to give any more of “reserve” out trying to hold on to what she had for just herself. Maybe your mother showed affection to one child (favoritism) and not the other child(ren). There are those of you who were physically abuse either by your mother or she allowed others to abuse you. They twisted and turned their hatred of your father and/or his family towards you. Perhaps because you looked like him…and she didn’t want to be reminded of that. Whatever the reason, Mother’s Day does NOT give you feelings of warm and gentle nostalgia but feelings of sadness, despair, regret, etc…
To all of you who have these feelings about your childhood, your mother, grand-mother, etc and/or Mother’s Day, I personally would like to say, “I’m very sorry.” But…I would like to do something else besides saying ,”I’m sorry.” because I believe healing start at home. Maybe this sanctuary is not your physical home, but it is your church home. If anyone needs a hug, come up front and will give you a hug today. If you need a kind word, we have those to give today. If you have never felt special, we have something special for you today, come up and receive it. If you need prayer to help you with forgiveness because of what you experience as a child, whether it was physical, emotional, spiritual, financial abuse or neglect come forward or raise your hand and we will pray with you,. If you need someone to pray with you to ask God for forgiveness for what you are doing or have done to your child(ren) in the past…to move forward…. to be able to talk with your children and have a better relationship with them, come forward for prayer because confession is good for the soul . “….There is no condemnation to those who walk after Christ Jesus…” Moving forward, if there are any parents who struggle with being neglectful and/or abusive our congregation wants to offer support. Please see us after service and if you can not, please call the church office. Let’s not let another generation pass without offering the help and assistance that is available. And for you adult children, likewise, if you are local, go by your mother’s or parent’s house, “just because.” How about that! Not to get money or see if your parents can “babysit” while you go on vacation or a date. How about YOU asking your mother what her favorite color, book, song, movie, hobby, actor is? You know sitting down a while and treating your mother like a “real person who has feelings, likes and wants!” How about you running to the store to get groceries, with your own money and NOT asking for reimbursement, to pick up coffee and creamer, milk, etc? Gee, what about paying for your mother to go on that cruise/vacation with you, hm? And practically speaking, maybe mom is too old to reach up to those spider webs that are in the corners of her house or apartment and YOU could go to the house, without being asked, and with a vacuum, go around the house and get those for her? Remember her plants that she loves so much? Try watering, fertilizing and possibly, if need be repotting them for her. And gee, how about filling HER car with gasoline and getting an oil change? Yes, adult children relationships are about give and take. It’s time to man-up and give….outside of Mother’s Day, Christmas and her birthday. And the children long distance, make your presence known; even if your mother doesn’t have modern technology. Send actual photographs via mail, it’s cheaper than a cup of Starbucks coffee. Tip *Use large print when writing a letter. Hire a professional, call your mother’s church , if you don’t know one. There may even be a ministry at the church that performs such duties like taking elderly people shopping or to doctor’s appointments. Call the Aging and Development office in the area and see what they offer. Yes, I know elderly people, don’t take kindly to strangers coming in their homes, but you never know and at least you tried. So inquire!
Dabbers, that’s the kind of Mother’s Day church service I would like to attend and one I think this country….the world needs.
Jesus came and shattered “traditions.” Thank God. Jesus came bringing truth, with love, regardless if anyone wanted to hear it.
Dabbers, should we not likewise. Humble ourselves and God will heal us and our homes. Truth must be brought out not hid under the sand or substituted with fake smiles, ridiculously expensive greeting cards, presents from (name a store), pretty clothes, elaborate dinners or roses, for us and our families to get better. (Remember Jesus told the truth to thousands using fish and bread while people were probably sitting on the dirt/sand.)
If I had my way….Ha ha ha! 🙂
Food for thought,
Love you all and Happy Mother’s Day to you ladies out there. 🙂 Whew, I feel better
Thank you Brian and Family
From: Kathy on beautiful Camano Island