MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS - MEMORIAL DAY

I have two posts this Memorial Day. The first is posts have been shared with my by friends on Facebook.  The second comes tomorrow.

MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS:MOTHER'S DAY

My mother, Marilyn and Dad

BY STEVE DUNN

 Yesterday much of America observed Mother’s Day.  It is one of the most celebrated holidays in our nation.  People have mixed emotions about this day—depending on whether or not your mother is deceased or you are a woman who suffers from infertility that prevents you from giving birth or a youngster whose Mom is stationed overseas in defense of our country or whether you are a mother whose children no longer call or visit or whether you have a cherished mother that you can connect with.  (I know that was a very long sentence.) For some it is a source of joy and some a source of cynicism (“the holiday created by Hallmark,” someone once told me.)  For others it is a source of pain because of the emptiness of the womb or the loss of a mother who was a treasured friend.

Perhaps you are not familiar with the origins of Mother’s Day.  It was 1876 and the nation still mourned the Civil War dead. While teaching a Memorial Day lesson, Mrs. Anna Reeves Jarvis thought of mothers who had lost their sons. She prayed that one day there could be a "Memorial Day" for mothers. The prayer made a deep impression on one of Mrs. Jarvis eleven children. Young Anna had seen her mother’s efforts to hold the war-split community and church together. As she grew into adulthood, the younger woman kept Mrs. Jarvis dream in her heart. On the day of her mother’s death, Anna was determined to establish Mother’s Day in her honor.[i]

Through local observances that were imitated and repeated, word-of-mouth, some organized campaigns-Anna and her compatriots finally saw the movement spread to 45 states.  In 1914, President officially designated the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

I, for one, celebrate Mother’s Day.  But as a pastor sensitive to the hearts of many women in my community, I remind people that we are blessed with biological mothers and spiritual mothers.  The former brought us into the world and provided the love and security that began to shape us as persons. The latter have been women who led Sunday School, who served as an extra grandmother, worked with youth groups, mentored and modeled the values of Christ that have helped make us people of Christian character and commitment.

Both mothers are to be honored—and when we have both—we are blessed.  These are the women whose “children” rise up and call them blessed. (Proverbs 31:28)

© 2018  by Stephen L. Dunn.  You have permission to reprint this provided it is unchanged, proper authorship is cited, it is in a publication not for sale, and a link is provided to this site or to www.drstevedunn.com. For all other uses, contact Steve at sdunnpastor@gmail.com 

Dianne, mother of my four children and grandmother to their seven

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[i] Source Sermon Central.Com downloaded May 13, 2018

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