We ended up having a great Mothers Day focused weekend at Journey. Here’s a few random reflections:
* I got unusually good reports of God speaking to people in the Message. Honestly, I had a hard time believing them. At lunch today a friend, who was telling me how great the message was ironically enough, asked me what part of the message I had a hard time with. I said, the part after, “how’s everyone doing?” and before “drive home safely”. Thank God for His grace that is bigger than my feelings.
* During our pre-service prayer on Friday, I felt led to pray for all the women for whom this weekend (day) was more painful than joyful. I was surprised how many women I heard of & talked to from whom this day is deeply painful.
* Here’s what was in my prayer for moms that we prayed: Bless them, strengthen them to fulfill the call on their lives. Allow them to feel Your delight in them. Heal the hurts & wounds that they inevitably pick up along the way. Help those from whom this day is painful & reminds them of loss – of their own moms, of their children, of the strained relationship with their kids or their moms.
* I’m pondering how much I end up preaching on Mary. BTW – I’ve read 2 GREAT books on Mary in the last couple of years. The Real Mary – Scot McKnight and Mary Through The Centuries by Jaroslav Pelikan (the recently deceased great Yale Church Historian)
* I am mindful of the fact that in October of 2006, the Doctor told us that my mom would not leave the hospital alive. She is doing great! Thanks to God our Healer
* My own wife is a great mom. Our kids gave her a verbal mother’s day card. They said wonderful things. Yet they will never know how much effort & energy she selflessly poured into them, laying down her life in a very real way.
Hope all of you had a great mothers day!
