My Mama is teaching this lesson in her Adult Sunday School class this morning in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Love you, Mama.

Exodus 20:12

“Honor thy father and mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”

Today is a day to give honor in particular to our Mothers… So we want to say thank you in our hearts for our Mother and all Mothers everywhere…

It’s been said that our Mothers have the most influence on us than anyone in our life.

None of us were born knowing how to be a Mother. I have to say though, that our own Mothers weren’t either. If you were fortunate enough to have a Mother who taught you many things, then you can learn from that or if not, maybe in some cases other mentors in your life…along with God’s guidance.

Even with the things we learn, we depend on God’s guidance to become the Mothers we were meant to be…

You as a Mother will find ways to be the Mother your children need.

Most of what we do for our children comes from our own example of word or deed…the things we say and do.

I think sometimes parents may forget to respect their children…

We want them to respect us, but really we teach them that, by being respectful and also by respecting them.

It’s different being a Mother to adult children…I’m still learning the life lessons of that…

By then, their respect for you is the most important thing…

You can be a friend to your children, but be a Mother first.

I pay tribute to my Mother today…

First of all, I miss her prayers…I count on them being stored up for me.

Everything I do reflects the values that she taught me.

She gave me life, but she also gave me lessons in how to be and how to live this life…

It feels like she’s a part of everything that I have ever accomplished…

Her sweet spirit and quiet strength and gentleness are always with me…it’s hard to live up to, very hard, but is always there nudging me along…

I will never forget her labor of love and sacrifice…

Her faithful service to God and her helping hand to others…

She took care of her bedridden Mother for 16 years…

She was also the District Ladies Auxiliary Secretary and Treasurer for many years…

She was my husband’s Sunday school teacher when he was a teenager and he still remembers things she taught him…

My Mother was not fashion conscious, and yet she made the most beautiful handwork things and clothes and wedding dresses.

I didn’t even know what it was like to wear something bought from a store…she could see something and come home and make it.

But sorrow came very early to her…

She lost her father at the age of 9 years old. With her father gone, she would come to know the meaning of hard work, learning at that age to cook and sew for her brothers.

Maybe it was God’s way of making her strong…

I never took my Mother for granted and there are times I wish I could say that to other people…

Her way wasn’t to push her thoughts on me, but she would quietly tell me the stories of her life to learn from…

My Mother was 42 years old when I was born, so I always knew there would probably be a day I would be without her…I miss her everyday.

My Mother loved and deeply respected the Ministry and was a trusted friend to the Ministry, and every Evangelist that ever came through had a meal , usually several, at our house, along with our Pastor and his family…

She was considered a Preacher’s friend.

At her funeral there were many Preachers that came from miles around…

My Mother and Dad both taught me loyalty to the Ministry.

This principle is established in the Word of God, a Book that my Mother loved and studied, religiously…

And according to the Word of God, we are admonished to “Touch not mine anointed.” The scripture says…

This means we are not to criticize or find fault with the Preacher, any Preacher, any man of God…

He has been chosen to direct us to God.

That is what the scripture teaches us and that is what my parents taught me…

One of the stories in the Bible talks about a man named Korah… He was unhappy with the leadership of Moses and started trouble, so God killed him and his followers…

And then there was Paul who said “Luke is still with me.”

It was important to Paul, the Preacher, to know that there was someone who would stand by him.

My legacy cannot be measured in money…

My Mother saved and saved her money just to pay for her own Funeral, and my Dad’s…

And she made sure there was no debt to leave behind…

But out of everything that she did leave us,

1) Her Love

2) Her Values

3) Her Gentleness

4) Her love for Mercy and Kindness

5) Her Prayers stored up for her children…

I think out of all of these, her greatest legacy was her love and deep respect for the Ministry.

I have often thought about the scripture where Mary the Mother of Jesus asked him to turn the water into wine at the Wedding…

He wasn’t quite ready to perform a miracle and make Himself known…and he seemed a little put off by her asking…

But I realized just recently in reading that scripture, the respect He must have had for His Mother, because He did it anyway, possibly “for” His Mother…

Mother’s day is a blessed day set aside to give thanks and appreciation to God for our Mothers…

I think He would want us to consider the love and respect He had for His own Mother, and pay tribute to all Mothers everywhere…

Happy Mother’s day…