Several years ago I visited the Mother's Day Shrine in Grafton, WV. At the time we lived close by in Bridgeport, WV and on a ride one day, I stopped to see it. Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908 when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. Anna Jarvis' campaign to make Mother's Day a recognised holiday in the United States began back in 1905, the year her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. She had been a peace activist who cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War and created Mother's Day Work Clubs to address public health issues. Anna Jarvis wanted to honour her mother by continuing the work she started. Hence she took it on herself to create a special day for mothers all around the world. Almost two decades later, in 1941, it was Woodrow Wilson who designated the second Sunday in the month of May as a national holiday to honour mothers.
Proverbs 31:25-30 ESV says, "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” ...
While we cannot say all mothers are blessed we can say that those who are in step with Christ have a profound effect on the world, their families and their friends. The scriptures show us that Jesus mother Mary was with him throughout His life and ministry. She supported Him, believed in Him and was there throughout, even at that last breath on the cross. Jesus mother did not enter in to her role without doubts and fears. If you look at Luke 1:29 she was "greatly troubled" when she was told by Gabriel she would be the mother of the Savior of the world, but even in those initial fears, she said in Luke 1:38, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord, let it be according to your word." What a profound woman of strength who was obedient to the calling of God in her life. While this is Mother's Day, I encourage us all to have that same motherly strength by saying, "I am the servant of the Lord." Through us, God can and does impact this world through our families and friends. Motherhood is not just a biological function but a function of the heart that is built not in arrogance and pride but in servanthood and love. Motherhood is a role built by God. The only person who exceeds Jesus' mother Mary in servanthood would be Jesus himself.
Comments