I couldn't believe the traffic around the mall yesterday. "I'm like, it's not Christmas. WTF?" Then my cynicism caught up with me and I realized the marketing genius' are ringing their bell. Like Pavlov's dog, the masses are seeking a material object or gesture that will somehow communicate just how much we appreciate our
Mothers.
- Is this because we all know far too well just how much we take our mother's for granted?
- Does mom's gracious receipt of our gift really convince us that we have satisfied some obligation to her?
I suppose it is right that we react in such ways. After all, the endless list of work that mothers do in their service to their families is overwhelming. But have you ever considered her
motivation?
It can only be the most pure form of love. Certainly, she hates the laundry, dishes, shopping, and drama as much as anyone, but these are gestures that are fueled from a heart of sacrificial love. For many working mothers, the work at home is not diminished, but only added to the work of earning and career building.
What has this taught us?
To love deeply will
cost us deeply. It is the depletion of her life and resources that gives life. It is the way the entire universe works: something has to die sacrificially if others are to live. Mothers are constantly dying to themselves for the sake of others. It's a global reality. It's perhaps the most beautiful thing in the world. It is God's signature of his own story within every life so that it cannot be missed by anyone.
Let's not forget the barren,
those who adopt, foster, or who care for the neighbor who are rightful recipients of the title of mother. What is more sacrificial that laying down your life for someone not your own?
There is an injustice in it though. Her dying for our living is too painful for us to bear continually and thus we prefer to forget about it. This means mom's work is often lonely.
I have compassion for those who had a mom who sacrificed very
little or who preferred their own living at the expense of others. While mother's day may have a different meaning for you, at least these negative examples teach us all how not to be.
And today, now that the party is over and the gifts are unwrapped, moms will return to their life of service based in love. For love by its definition is service. Service is true leadership. Thank you moms for showing us such a painful
beauty.
May we learn not to forget all the dirty dishes that have made us.
"...forsake not your mother's teaching, for they a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck." Proverbs 1:8
