Happy Mother's Day... from afar

Today is Mother's Day. Regardless of the request for physical distancing, today is a day to honor your mother. Women sharing the image of God played an absolutely vital role in the Bible. They are celebrated. Honored. Cunning. Entrepreneurial. Yes, there are instances where women were abused and subjugated. The Bible presents those moments not as an endorsement but as evidence of our fallen world. In this column, I would like to offer three principles from the Bible for Mother's Day.

First, the Bible encourages you, as a child, to give a reason for your mother to rejoice. Proverbs 23:25, reads, "So give your father and mother joy! May she who gave you birth be happy." The context of the proverb is wisdom for a well-lived life. Living well causes those who are most important in your life to rejoice. The proverb is not a platitude as much as it is a challenge to live well. The modern proverb says it this way: "Live in a way that the preacher doesn't have to lie at your funeral." Chocolates, flowers and cards are nice. But a life well lived is what makes mom happy.

Second, the Ten Commandments tell us to, "Honor your father and mother." The word "honor" describes a sense of heaviness. To honor is more than showing respect. To honor is to feel the weight that the one whom you are honoring has had upon you. To honor another is to say this person matters to me.

Finally, God has gifted all men and women in all places and at all times with family. Yes, family dynamics are tricky. Yes, families struggle. But they struggle together. Leo Tolstoy is often quoted from his novel Anna Karenina, "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Every family is unique.

Understand that honoring your father and mother is the only command with a time line. There will be a day when you want to honor your mom, and she will not be there. A day when you want to celebrate her, but you can only do so without her. If we have learned anything from our experiments with physical distancing, we have discovered how much we need each other. Take time this Mother's Day, even if from afar, to reach out to your mom and let her know how much you care.