BY TAMI GILMORE
A lot has happened over the past eight weeks. The days and time all run together. So, if the time has all blurred together I want to remind you that today is Mother’s Day. Honestly, I have a hard time with days like today. Mother’s Day. Although I am truly blessed to have a wonderful relationship with my mom, my own children and a very supportive husband. I am very aware that this is not the case for everyone. There are some of you who have lost children, can’t have children, lost your mother, don’t have a loving mother, or a good relationship with your mom and this day can bring pain to you.
God gave me Psalm 118:24 to share with you, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
I decided to take a deeper look into the history of Mother’s Day. While researching I found that in the UK, the original event had nothing to do with mothers at all! This day was originally for Christians to visit their “mother” church. It was a time for servants to be given the day off and return to their hometown. This gave them the ability to worship with their families. It was not about the mother of a child, but about the church!
Mother’s Day, in the United States, is traditionally known to be started by Anna Jarvis. She founded Mother’s Day to honor her mother and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday. It began to spread overseas and intertwined with other local traditions. Interestingly enough, Anna Jarivs spent her life fighting against how the holiday became commercialized and a political exploitation. What I want you to take from this information is...the day...Mother’s Day...is a man-made holiday.
I want us to focus on it being today. Rejoicing because it is a new day! Have a joyful heart and express gratitude because the Lord gave you today.
Ephesians 5:20 tells us to be, “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Again, we are reminded in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Another verse I am reminded of is found in Philippians 4:6 which tells us, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
In each of these verses there are keywords I want you to look at: always, everything, all, and anything. These words indicate that there is no moment that we should not be thankful. In all circumstances, at all times, in any situation we are to give thanks. When we allow God’s goodness to be our focus it will always point us to Him. We will then take nothing for granted. Every moment of our lives has a purpose and reason - therefore we can give thanks in all things.
When we have praise and thanksgiving in our hearts and minds it will bring us closer to the presence of God. In HIS presence there is fullness and joy.
So today, I don’t want us to get wrapped up in what man, or woman, has created. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. Let us get wrapped up in thanksgiving and praise for today. Because this is the day the Lord has made...let us rejoice!