This coming Sunday is Mother's Day. It is a wonderful day filled with memories of childhood and an appreciation for the woman who gave birth to us and placed us on the path of life. For many, this day is a good day filled with good memories of wonderful days spent with our mothers. For some, there is an emptiness and grief on this day, as you remember your mother because you no longer have the opportunity to personally relate to her because of death or a broken relationship. For others, this day is difficult because you are unable to have children and you are experiencing a loneliness and emptiness within. I want you to know that I am praying for you and with you, no matter your present circumstance. As we approach this special day, I want to share a song with you. The song is entitled, When Mama Prayed, and is sung by the Kingsmen. This link will take you to a dated live performance of this song.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb1lq9hsaIg&feature=related 

I am blessed to have been born and raised in a Christian family. My parents are committed followers of Jesus and instilled within me a desire for Christ. I am also blessed that I married a committed follower of Jesus Christ, who lives her faith in front of our children. In all my traveling, I give God thanks that I know that no matter where I am, I have a mother and a wife who are praying for me. The beauty of this knowledge, though, is that I know I have an even broader prayer base of women who have been mothers of the faith in my life. I cannot fathom trying to list them all, but it includes Sunday School teachers, school teachers, friend's mothers, and church members. Each of these women have played important roles in my life as they have encouraged me and taught me the basics of the faith.

In our present age, there seems to be a great amount of emphasis placed upon the nuclear family. The role that our earthly mother and father play in our life should not be limited, for we know they teach us many things that will influence our lives for many years to come. Yet, I think of Jesus' words in Mark 3:31-35, "Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.'"

There seems to be a role to be played in each person's life where there are mothers who live with us all the time and influence our lives and there are mentor mothers who play a role in our development as well. Who are the women in your life who have played a spiritual mother role in your development? If you are a woman, who are you serving as a spiritual mother? How will you say thank you to your mother(s) on Sunday?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for our mothers. We thank you for the ones who guided us through childhood and still influence our lives today. We also thank you for the spiritual/mentor mothers of our lives who also influenced us and prayed for us. Make us see the people who need the influence of a mother today, and guide us into relationship with them. Amen.