The Gift of Moms

Listen to your father who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Buy truth, and do not sell it;
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
He who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.
Let your father and mother be glad;
let her who bore you rejoice.
Proverbs 23:22-25, ESV

Sometimes we want a memorable way to show our moms that they are on our hearts. I remember making gifts for my mom as a child. One was a painted paper weight (a dressed-up rock, really) and another was a plastic picture frame with a ribbon that included a picture of us. When it came to presents, I knew she liked the homemade kind best, and I wanted to show her that I knew what she liked. It was the meeting point of “I want you to delight in me” and “I can give you something no one else can.”

As a mom now, I realize that my children are precious gifts to me, just as they are. We moms have special connections with our children that no one else has. It’s a wonderful blessing knowing that God chose you to be the mom of your children. That’s a gift that you have unwrapped!

Can you remember how you felt when you saw your child for the first time? How he or she captured your heart right away? You wanted to give them something no one else could. And I’m quite sure you have.

Moms sacrifice themselves to bring us into the world and raise us. Sometimes mothers express a lot of joy over us, and other times they don’t share it in the words we long to hear. They may think we know how they feel about us or they may not know how to express their feelings. No matter how much you heard your mom’s sentiments or how you felt when your child entered your life, may you sense the heart behind this verse: let her who bore you rejoice. As you think of the mother who raised you, may you know how God chose her for you and you for her. And when you think about the child or children God has given you, may it bring pleasure to your heart to know God knew the details from the beginning. You are celebrated for the mother you have been to your child, from the time they were little to now.
Bravo, Mom.

You are . . . Faithful

Mom, you are faithful. May you always feel joy rising in you when you think of how you have loved your children and how God gave them specifically to you. May you know the faithfulness of God for helping you to be the best mom you could be to them. Even when they may not express their appreciation, know that you are a gift to your children, just as you are.