"THE LOVE OF A MOTHER
The rabbis used to say, 'God could not be everywhere, so He made mothers.' I'm a believer. Mine was without a doubt both omniscient and omnipresent; she was everywhere, and she knew everything. To a seven-year-old mind bent on mischief, that may not always have seemed ideal, but as I look back, my appreciation only grows.
Abraham Lincoln said, 'All I am or can be I owe to my angel mother.' A mother wears so many hats: she can endure a hard day's work, cook, play football, fix a flat, feed the dog, take out the garbage her husband forgot, and yet still have time to sit down and encourage a child who didn't make the team, or help another with their algebra. To her family she's Julia Child, Albert Einstein, and Joe Montana, all rolled into one.
Those are lofty expectations for a mother to live up to. In fact, I often wonder how they even have a chance. Even if she goes all day without a moments peace, it's never enough, because mom's always seem to hold themselves responsible for imperfections in their home. And they shouldn't bear the weight of that responsibility. But think about it. When things just don't go right, and she feels the pain of a wandering child or an inconsiderate, insensitive husband, can't you see where she might feel responsibility for that when she pours every waking moment into her home and family?
God never intended that mothers become the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. That's one of His chores. Washington Irving described a mother's heart this way: 'There is an enduring tenderness in the love of a mother to a child that transcends all other affections of the heart. It is neither to be chilled by selfishness, nor daunted by danger, nor weakened by worthlessness, nor stifled by ingratitude. She will sacrfice every comfort to their convenience; she will surrender every pleasure for their enjoyment; she will glory in their fame and exult in their prosperity.; and if adversity overtake them, they will be dearer to her by misfortune; and if disgrace settle upon their name, she will still love and cherish them; and if all the world beside cast them off, she will be all the world to them.'
Mothers laugh and cry. They work and play. They know what's right and wrong. They know the way things are, and the way things ought to be. They wake up early and go to bed late. They live in a sinful, selfish world and yet posess the heart of a servant and saint. This mother's day, let me suggest you give her a special gift... just tell her you love her. Love isn't self-seeking, but self giving. Let her know you want to contribute to her fulfillment and joy.
While you're at it, you might even take out the garbage.
Ron Mehl"