As Mother’s Day approaches………
When God blessed me with the privilege of being a mother, little did I know it would be one of the ways I would be able to somewhat wrap my mind around how He loves me even though His love is so perfect that I’m not sure I will ever fully understand it this side of heaven. I also didn’t know being a mother would be His design for refining me in His image.
I have often loved to read all about Mary, the mother chosen by God to give virgin birth to His Son Jesus. There are a few times in Scripture when I really relate to Mary and there are some moments where I do not. One of the moments I can’t come close to relating to is riding a donkey while nine months pregnant! Nor can I bear to think about her standing at the foot of the cross watching her Son as He was nailed to it! I can’t even imagine her gut…her heart…her anguish…her sorrow of not only watching her Son die…but see Him suffer as an innocent man! When I stop to think about it at all…I physically feel as if I am going to throw up.
One of the ways I greatly identify with her is in how well she knew her Son! We moms have what I call an “invisible umbilical cord” that remains there for our entire life. I know Mary had one too. If you read Scripture and study her life, you find she was always in Jesus’ life, even as He grew to adulthood. I truly like to think that one day…for all the mothers who have lost children on this earth…that in heaven…one of the first things that is gonna happen is that mothers will see their kids!!!
Last year I was led to read about the wedding at Canaan where Jesus performed His first miracle. I wanted to glean anything God would want to show me as we prepared for Collins’ wedding. I read the story every day leading up to her wedding as part of my preparation for Collins’ wedding.
One of the first things God showed me was how I identified with Mary as a mother. You see, Mary knew Jesus was special and that He was God’s Son…no one else did. Mary knew things only a mother would know. I believe God does that for all mothers. It is a very special thing that Jesus lived in Mary’s womb. There is just this unique connection I know God must give mothers, whether we have carried children in the womb or adopted them into our family.
When Mary realized they were running out of wine, she was concerned for the family. I love that!! Love, love, love that. She wanted things to go well. Even though she was not the MOB, she, like most mothers, didn’t want a faux pas to occur. Let’s pick up the story in John 2:3, “When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine.’” Don’t miss this–she knew her son intimately and knew he could do something about it. He also knew that she knew. Read on in the next verse, “‘Woman, why do you involve me?’ Jesus replied, ‘My hour has not yet come.'”
LOL…mothers, do you see this? They had that special connection of knowing what the other one was talking about. It was just between them. Mary knew and Jesus knew. He also could read what Mary wanted Him to do without her directly asking. This is so cute and funny to me.
Moms, do you relate? With our children there are so many times, especially now that ours are young adults, that I know them so well that we can communicate without saying anything. Sometimes to a fault because I am thinking something different but they still think they know. I hoping you can relate here. I love what Mary does and says after Jesus says, “Woman, my time has not yet come.” Verse 5, “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you to.’” Hahahahaha! I really relate to this as a mom. She didn’t take no for an answer. Even though Jesus was fully God, He was fully man and what did he do? He obeyed His mother and she knew He would. I love seeing a real human glimpse of Jesus and his relationship with His mother.
As Mother’s Day approaches, mothers, please understand that being a mother is such a special calling by God. It is the most rewarding but yet the hardest job I have ever had or will have. A responsibility like none other. On the Back 9 one of the very best things I have found that I can do is…
…to pray fervent, bold prayers on their behalf.
There are many days I am not with them now that they are out of the nest but my prayers can touch them always. It is the best gift I can give them. I want to have them as a friend but I know one day, standing before God, the question is not going to be, “What kind of friend were you to your kids?” But I will be responsible for what kind of mother I was.
Since, as mothers, we have that special connection of the “invisible umbilical cord,” pray for your children always. In all kinds of ways pray for them. Pray Scripture over them. As their mother, you know them as well as anyone ever will so you have the “inside,” the “unspoken,” on how to pray.
I encourage you to journal your prayers for your kids. A gift that keeps on giving. When you are long gone, it will be a written account of your heart to God for them. It is an example of fulfilling your role as a mother and they will be able to see the answers of your lifelong prayers. No matter what age your children are, if you are reading this and have been blessed to carry the name “MOM,” know that there is a very special calling on your life…to care for and to set the example and to pray for your kids. Use that special connection to pray on all occasions in all ways.
It’s never too late to start. Where should you start? If you aren’t sure how to go about praying specific prayers for your children, start with Scripture, the best place to start. I will end today with a beautiful passage in Ephesians 3:14-21, a great place to start praying:
“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”