A Mother’s Gift

A mother’s gift begins when her childhood ends.

I suspect most mothers remember the moment their childhood ended. It may have been while feeding her baby or changing a diaper. Suddenly she realizes life is no longer about her but about her child. And her gift of selfless love begins to grow in that moment.

For a man this transition can be more difficult. All he knows is that, after baby is born, the woman he loves no longer has time for him like she once did.

A new father may be a little jealous of the attention his baby receives from his wife. Sure, he’s proud of the little life he helped create. But accepting the awesome responsibility of parenthood and a child’s need for selfless love can take longer for a dad.

A wise person once said, “Parenting is not so much about taking children and turning them into adults as it is about taking parents and turning THEM into adults.”

One of the things that endeared my mother to me was her unselfish love. Selfish love loves for the sake of itself: “I love you for what you do for me.” But unselfish love is unconditional. It says, “I don’t require anything of you. I love you for who you are and I give myself to you.”

We learn that kind of love from our mothers and from God. It’s their gift to us.

Childhood is a wonderful time. But there comes a time to grow up and take a lesson from our mothers: Life is no longer about us. True delight is found in the joy of others.

Just ask a new mother. There’s no greater joy than when her baby smiles and laughs.

Have you discovered the joy of selfless love? Or does your life still have to be about you?

Well hold on just a minute! What if life wasn’t fair to you? Maybe you never knew your mother. Maybe you never got along with her. Or you lost her before you were ready to give her up. Or maybe you had a mother who abused you. What about that?

The truth is that people, even those closest to us, sometimes let us down. But God never does. He still loves us with an unconditional love. He promises to never leave us or forsake us. To be both a mother and father to us, if necessary. God is always there when we need him.

The Bible says that God loves us so much that he gave his very best: “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.” Do you enjoy God’s love and his gift of eternal life? If not, accept it today.

This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. If your mom is living, thank her for her love for you. Take her to church before Sunday dinner and show her you still appreciate her faith in God.

If you have lost your mom, remember the gift of life and the gift of love she gave to you. Then thank God for the mother he gave you.

I’m not suggesting that your mother was perfect. In fact you may have to forgive her for being less than perfect. (You were less than perfect, too. Remember those teen years?) But God gave you your mom. And he gave you to her.

We don’t get to choose our mothers but every one of us can choose to have a relationship with God. The Bible says that if you come to him through Jesus Christ, he will forgive your failures. He will love you like a long-lost child that finally comes home.

Parenting can help us mature in life. But spiritual maturity comes when we put God first in life and choose to serve others. Then you’ll delight in serving them and rejoice in their laughter.

Unselfish love is a great gift to give and to receive. Thanks, Mom. And thank you, God.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!