Today is Mother’s Day, and across country, perhaps even across the world, people are waking up and celebrating their mother wherever they are. Near or far, here on earth or in Heaven, our mothers are to be celebrated. Today is their day, but truly, every day we should celebrate our mother. Our verse is the last verse from the book of Proverbs, chapter 31, verse 31:
31Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. ~ Proverbs 31:31 (NIV)
My friends, my brothers, my sisters, when I look at my Mother, and when I look at my Wife, what I see is a living example of what Unconditional Love is. Looking back on my raising, my family wasn’t wealthy, we weren’t born with a silver spoon in our mouths like we hear about sometimes. My dad struggled with his business financially but not in the work he did. My Mom often worked a full time and a part time job. Yet, despite all of that, I don’t remember ever going to bed hungry, I don’t remember ever going to bed feeling sorry for myself, I don’t remember ever wondering if we might have to leave our house. It is because of the sacrifice of my Dad and my Mom that my sister and I didn’t have those fears. It was the unconditional love that they had for us that sustained my sister and I, and taught us going forward exactly what was important.
Now, my wife and I have a soon to be sixteen year old daughter. I am running my own business; my wife is working stressful hours at her place of employment; but despite all of that, our daughter is getting an education that will last her a lifetime on what really matters in this world. My daughter has seen me lose my job; she sees daily the struggles that my wife puts up with; yet, throughout it all, Sophie also hears constant “I love you” coming from me to Cindy, or Cindy to me, or each of us to Sophie, or Sophie to us. Sophie sees daily what unconditional love is, and she is learning life lessons that will serve her well. She knows what unconditional love is, and she is sharing that unconditional love with her classmates and friends, her family, and those at church.
The greatest example of unconditional love, of course, is that between God and Jesus and all of us. Remember what was written in the book of John:
16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ~ John 3:16-18 (NIV)
God sent Jesus into this world to save all who would believe in Him. He sent Jesus into this world despite knowing that Jesus would die, and He did it so that all of us would have another chance to be saved and to go to Heaven ourselves. God did that because He loves us. That is Unconditional Love. Jesus died for us because He loves us. That is Unconditional Love. Our mothers would do anything for their children. That is Unconditional Love.
Learn these examples, God, Jesus, and our Mother’s example, and apply them in your life now and moving forward, and together we can make this world a little better. Now, please pray with us our prayer requests and praises. Thank you.
Prayer Requests & Praises
- We start off this week with a prayer request for Pam and her husband Ronnie: Say a prayer for Ronnie. Have spent the night at UNC ED with a bad allergic reaction. You know you’ve been around a long time when you see folks you know who work here and they recognize you.
- Barb has a prayer request and an update: Please say a prayer for my daughter-in-law’s father. He’s having surgery tomorrow for permanent placement of a pacemaker. He’s very nervous about the surgery. He’s also had a few unexplained seizures in the last 2 days. Hopefully, the MRI results will shed some light on why he’s having them.
- The pacemaker procedure went well, still no word though on what’s causing the seizures.
- Ivon has a prayer request: Please say a prayer for the Gooding/Bostic Family as they mourn the loss of one of their own to a fatal car accident in Key Largo Florida. She is my best friends sister in-law. She leaves behind 2 daughters, a son and 2 grandkids.. Also keep a prayer for the passenger that was in the car with her that was airlifted to the hospital and there have been no updates on her condition. Thank you.
- Prayers for my Brother-in-Christ Paul: My dear sweet mother went to be with the Lord late last night. Arrangements will be made later. She was such a wonderful Mom! Happy Mother’s Day in heaven!
- Stephanie had a prayer request for her daughter Ava: This is very minor in comparison to most, but my little Ava (6 years old) is scheduled for dental surgery this Friday. The insurance authorization keeps getting denied because of a glitch in the insurance company’s system. Please pray that this issue is resolved in time and for Ava to get through her procedure with no issues. Thank you!!
- Update 1: We finally got insurance approval for Ava’s dental surgery tomorrow! Please pray for no complications and for her to tolerate the anesthesia well.
- Update 2: Ava just came out of surgery and is in recovery. The doctor said everything went very well! Praise God!!
- Please reopen the prayers for my brother in law Jerry. He’s had to go back to the hospital with fluid buildup and such, he’s not feeling good. Thanks everyone!
- Update: the tests he has had are looking good, and he is feeling better, but not completely fixed yet, please keep praying for him!
- Praise and the power of prayer, this was Jodi’s prayer request: My husband is a Disney bus driver and has to bid for new shift times first thing in the morning. He already has severe anxiety disorder and is totally stressing over this (does every time they have a bid) that he’s going to end up with one that goes to the wee hours of the morning. Please keep him in prayer that the Lord will provide one that will work well for him and would be earlier in the day. Lately he’s been having insomnia, with not getting home till 1 or so in the morning, and not being able to settle down. If he sleeps, it’s not till about 4AM, and then it’s intermittent till about 8. Please pray he can find peace! Thank you!
- **UPDATE: Richard was able to get a good shift! Thank you so much for the prayers! He did not sleep at all, of course, but thankfully, he will have a decent schedule.**
Now, please join us in praying the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray:
Our Father, who art in Heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven.Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those that trespass against us.Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil.For Thine is the Kingdom, and Power, and Glory
Forever and ever. Amen.
