M-O-T-H-E-R

I remember a Mother’s Day years ago when a pastor quoted “ God couldn’t be everywhere therefore He made mothers.” Do you think the one who penned this forgot something amazing like God’s omnipresence?

Perhaps you know this poem.

M-O-T-H-E-R
"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER,"
A word that means the world to me.

This poem has been read over the years by many people to celebrate Mother’s day. The great band leader, Eddie Arnold turned it into a song There are many others pieces of this caliber that could be added to this one.

Unfortunately this is typical of the kind of sentiments that people have expressed about Mother’s Day over the years. We all want to be thought of fondly and we want to know that our efforts have been appreciated. What I don’t want is for my children to remember what I was not or what did not happen. Here is my version of the poem that I think describes things more accurately .

M is for the many things she gave me.

O means only that she’s growing old-ER

T is for the tears she shed as she asked God to save me.

H is for her heart redeemed by Christ.

E is for her eyes that seemed to see all. (Only God sees all.)

R means right and right she always wanted to be.

Put them all together, they spell Mother,

A word that is important but Jesus has Mom beat.

You’ll notice I ignored having words that rhyme. If it’s a choice between rhyming and the truth I’ll take the truth any day. Maybe it would be better if our children just thought of us as redeemed sinners who continue to sin but make the pattern of our lives that we hold God’s agenda as far more important than our own.

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