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Friday, May 12, 2017

Happy Mother's Day!


“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
(2 Timothy 3:14-15 KJV)

*Note:  I shared this post in 2015 and 2016—the message is still timely, in my opinion.  I have edited it slightly for this year.



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This Sunday, May 14, we celebrate Mother’s Day. Therefore, it is a great time to reflect on the special women (our mom and others) in our lives who nurtured us; perhaps, they still nurture us, even if from afar.  There are so many different types of mothers:  those who give birth to and raise their child/children, those who are brave and allow their child to be adopted, there are adoptive mothers, foster mothers, and spiritual mothers.  So many different ways to be a mom to many—great is the impact of moms on the lives of those they nurture.

At the outset, I realize some reading this post will have had a challenging relationship with their mom, or perhaps a dear mom has passed away, or a mom is no longer mom due to a variety of health issues and/or dementia.  My prayer for you is that you will experience God’s comforting, healing presence in the days ahead.

Likewise, some women reading this post will struggle due to their longing to be a mom.  My heart goes out to you, so many of us with “mommy hearts” (this includes me) know we are to nurture another person.  In my case, I have found contentment in being a nurturing presence in the lives of my friends.



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In thinking about some of the ladies who have nurtured me spiritually I recall a couple of dear ladies from my earliest years—both were apart of my life due to Sunday school and church attendance.

Many times, if it were not for our mom we would not be in church. It seems spiritual nurture, many times, is dependent on mom. As a little girl, I attended Sunday school and church faithfully, thanks to my mother. In fact, some of my earliest memories are of church and Sunday school.

Particularly, during the early years (pre-school through second grade), two ladies—Ruby and Clara—taught my peers and me a lot about Jesus and His love for us.  

For many of us, Sunday school and Vacation Bible school teachers have a huge impact on us and how we grew in our faith.  What sort of impact did your Sunday school and Vacation Bible school teachers have on you?



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How have you been nurtured by your mom or your spiritual mothers (teachers, aunts, cousins, friends of the family)?

How can you nurture someone in need?  Look at how Paul encouraged Timothy regarding his faith that he learned from Lois and Eunice (his grandmother and mother) (see 2 Timothy 1:5). 

Therefore, in reflecting on this special day let us think about everything that moms do for their off-spring (this includes spiritual moms too!).

Moms do a lot for us.

They care for us when we are ill.

They comfort us after bad dreams.  

They encourage us on difficult days.

It is clear that moms everywhere deserve this special day of remembrance.

How can we thank our moms (birth and spiritual) at this special time?

Please join with me in prayer:

Dear Lord of All, thank You for our mothers who gave us life and nurture.  Thank You for the spiritual mothers in our lives who taught us about Jesus and His love for us and who influenced our growth in the faith and faithfully prayed for us—giving us encouragement at just the right time.  For those who long to be a mommy grant them a special sense of Your comforting presence.  Bless our mothers today and always.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

From My Heart to Yours,

Kim

Happy Mother’s Day!!

6 comments:

  1. There are, indeed, many different types of moms out there, and we should pause to celebrate and thank God for their nurturing presence in our lives, Kim.
    Love and blessings!

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    1. Martha, Thank you for your kind words, support, and encouragement. Where would any of us be without people to nurture us in the faith (and otherwise)? Happy Mother's Day!

      Love and blessings!

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  2. Hi Kim! I have had many 'mothers' in my life, spiritual, friendship...and of course my dear departed mom. I am remembering her today with love tinged with sadness that she isn't with me, but I know she's closer than ever in Christ.
    My husband and I are going to visit the graves today of both of our mothers. May we carry the best of who they were, and revel in the prayers they pray for us.
    God bless,
    Ceil

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    1. Hi Ceil! Thank you for sharing about the many "mothers" you've had in your life, including the one who gave birth to and raise you. Where would we be without the prayers of our moms--spiritual and physical? During church, I was thinking of one special lady (she watched me after school) who I know prayed for me. I may not have "gotten" during those years, however, I know now just how blessed I was to have her prayers. She has been with the Lord for ten years.

      Blessings to you,

      Kim

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  3. Thank you for this thoughtful post about our Moms...both physical and spiritual. My mother was a strong woman...and I thank God for her example and love every day. She also made sure we went to Sunday School and Church, but my Dad was right there with her, perhaps even more so on that subject than she. But I love the example they gave us throughout my life of a spiritual connection between us and God...and the need to nurture that relationship just as much as our physical relationships. I am a mother to 3 sons, now adults, (one of them in heaven already), and I pray that I was the kind of mother they needed throughout their lives and even now. The role keeps changing...mother, mother in law, grandma, older mother who someday will have to be cared for...I pray I will be gracious throughout each phase. God bless you Kim. You are a sweet nurturer...I can tell that by your thoughtful posts. Anyone would be blessed to have you as a mother, whether spiritual or physical!

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    1. Oh Pam, thank you for sharing your experiences being nurtured by your moms and how you've nurtured your sons and others. I love your thoughts on how our roles change in the various seasons of our lives (so true!).

      Thank you for your kind words about me being a sweet nurturer--it brought tears to my eyes (good ones!). Several years ago, a friend told me that I have a "mommy heart". So I nurture my friends...and sometimes my friends' pets! :)

      Hope you had a blessed Mother's Day!

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