Sabbath Keeping - Mother's Day

~ Mom, Sister and Great Grandson ~ 

"Honor your father and your mother,

so that you may live long in the land

the Lord your God is giving you.":

~ Exodus 20:12 ~ 

"Next to God,

thy parents."

~ William Penn ~ 

"Appreciate your parents. You never know what sacrifices they went through for you."
~ unknown ~

"Love your parents. We are so busy growing up, we often forget they are also growing old."
~ unknown ~

"Don't use the sharpness of your tongue on the mother who taught you to speak."
~ Ali Ibn Abi Talib ~

"It takes courage to be a mother."

~ Sandra ~ 

"But there's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin." ~ Mitch Albom ~

"If you can't go back to your mother's womb, 

you'd better learn to be a good fighter."

~ Anchee Min ~ 

"But kids don't stay with you if you do it right. It's the one job where, the better you are, the more surely you won't be needed in the long run." ~ Barbara Kingsolver ~ 

"Forgiveness does not mean excusing." 

~ C. S. Lewis ~

For a lot of people, mother's day (or father's day) is indescribably difficult. So many haven't had a Godly parent or had a "godly" parent who was abusive (especially behind closed doors). Some were given into foster care or adoption, others abandoned outright, others abused physically, emotionally, verbally. When God say "honor your father and mother" He doesn't ask us to give up ourselves; as  Lewis says, "Forgiveness does not mean excusing". Some people are meant to be loved from a great distance, others with no contact at all. If this day has been difficult, God knows and understands; give it to Him, let the bitterness, anger, resentment fade. Only He is able to heal your hurts, be a balm in Gilead, restore you to wholeness. Let Him.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Honor your father and mother - which is the first commandment with a promise -

so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

~ Ephesians 6:1-3 ~ 

Please pray for ~ Maxine ~ Gladys ~ yourself ~