Today is Mother's Day, the day set aside to do what we should do every day of the year, honor our mothers. In preparation for this special day I recently changed my Facebook profile picture to a meme that reads, "My Mom is better than your Mom. Just sayin'." It's partially a joke, but there's some truth in it too. The truth is that I have been blessed, and I received the perfect Mom for me.
Now, I did not say my mom is perfect. She's not. She's got plenty of shortcomings that I could list were I to do her inventory, and some of those I share with her due to genetics and or upbringing. I know, because I know her, that she could make a harsher list of her perceived failures than I could, because no one is harder on my Mom than she is. No, my Mom is not perfect, and while I hope that there are those reading this who would respond to my quip about my Mom being better with, "Nope. My Mom's the best!," I know that won't be the case with everyone.
Some of us have moms that are easier to honor than others. Some of us were blessed with moms that helped show us what unconditional love is all about, but some of us had train wrecks for mothers who showed us more the hell life can be without the love that should be so natural. And yet, almost all of us do out best to overlook and ignore the mistakes, focus on the good, and honor our moms on Mother's Day. This is an example of grace. Grace is, in part, love in action that overlooks failures and praises both attempts and successes.
I have never had any problem doing this with my Mom, because I love her so much. I think I was nine years old when I physically went after a college student who dared to dishonor and yell at my Mom after a wreck. Mom had to hold me back to keep me from trying to beat that man up. I loved her, and I had no intention of standing idly by and letting anyone, no matter how much bigger than me, mistreat and dishonor her. It occurs to me though that this is how we are to treat each other all the time. This is the grace we are to show all...our family, our friends, strangers and even enemies. We can let the love of God flow through us to such an extent that with everyone we encounter we love enough to honor, to overlook the negative and to encourage, praise, and accept the good. Mother's Day is really Love and Honor Mothers Day. and from it we can learn to make every day Love and Honor Others Day.
Lord, thank you for the amazing Mom you blessed me with. Help me to honor her each and every day, and help me to treat everyone I encounter with the love and honor I would want my Mom treated with. Amen.
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