Devotionals for the Heart: Reflections on Mother's Day and leaving a legacy

Living a Legacy
A devotional by Joy Beless

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.”—Proverbs 31:30 (NLT)

May 12 was Mother’s Day in the United States and Canada.

It is a time to set aside to remember to call or visit your mom—perhaps even send a bouquet of flowers and let them know how much we love and appreciate them! For some, Mother’s Day is complicated and triggers a whole punchbowl of emotions.

Although not the norm, it worked out for some of our family to celebrate together. Four generations of women laughed, told stories, and absorbed the moment—with the newest being two months old and the oldest 87.

There are a lot of opinions and ideas about what being a woman encompasses, one popular idea is from the long-standing Maybelline beauty product slogan, “Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline.” Another idea is about experiencing “Real Beauty” when you use Dove (brand) bar soap. Media and movies portray popular stereotypes for women—perfect body size, flawless complexion, flowing hair, always youthful, healthy and fit, yet somehow juggling it all.

The Bible also has plenty to say to guide and encourage us in every area of life—including this one. A famous passage about women is Proverbs 31:10-31, noted in the Bible as “The Wife of Noble Character.” It is all-encompassing and can seem overwhelming unless we view it as a description over a lifetime rather than a snapshot. One of my favorite verses (for any woman and not just for mothers) is Proverbs 31:25 (NIV) that says, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

I’m thankful my mother has lived this out for me. One of four daughters born to a farming and ranching family, Mom had plenty of chores to do inside and outside. A favorite story shared is about her wedding day to my father. She had a daily chore of milking the cows every evening for their dairy business. This chore could not be missed or skipped over, even on her wedding day. A neighbor saw her milking and thought the wedding was called off. Nope, she just had to take care of the cows first! We laugh every time she tells this story.

More recently, I witnessed my mother's strength and faith as she cared for my father in his last years after suffering several strokes and losing mobility. As dreams for their future were worn away into daily caregiving tasks, Mom continued to do what she could on the farm and care for my dad. Those were difficult years and she could have understandably become bitter. Instead, she clung to her faith, family, and her church community for support. My father did pass away eventually, and Mom made the difficult transition into widowhood and a new chapter of life. She currently is “laughing at the days to come” as she leads a grandparent’s prayer group and chapel in her residential senior community.

What have I learned from Mom about strength, dignity, and looking forward with confidence in the days ahead? Here’s a shortlist:

*Strength begins by leaning on Jesus in the small obstacles and difficulties as we build up to the larger waves that knock us down. It is the “prayer without ceasing” that builds a habit of praying when we are at the end of ourselves.

*Dignity is synonymous with honor and is earned through small actions and speech that are full of grace and truth. It is cloaked in humility and the fruit of the Spirit that is attractive to be around. A life of honesty and integrity in the small and big experiences and daily decisions.

*“Laughing at the days ahead” is being confident that no matter what may come you can trust the Lord with the outcome–even one of hardship and grief. You are seen by a loving God and never alone, even in the darkest of nights.

*We move through the valleys of hardship and loss and will reach the other side of hope.

As we gathered over Mother’s Day this year, I looked around at the women surrounding me. My mother and mother-in-law are both 85, my aunt is 87, my two daughters (32 and 30) and their children (2 months, 1 year old and age 13), and I realize I’ve received a legacy of strength and dignity. The choice is mine to make whether to stand on the foundation of God’s Word, pray without ceasing, walk in humility, honesty, and integrity–to continue the legacy (or for some to begin the legacy).

Oh, how deceptive and fleeting beauty and charm are. A futile race of time and resources to run. Like my mom, I want to embrace the youngest little one in our family and laugh at the days to come–whatever they might be.

Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us how to live life abundantly. You know the ups and downs of life and never leave us but guide us through to the other side. It is because of You that we can laugh at the days to come! In Jesus’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Legacy” by Nichole Nordeman. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Joy Beless is a worshipper of God and lover of people. 

A practicing Spiritual Director, she is a speaker for retreats and conferences and facilitates guided solitude retreats at the family ranch in North Texas.

A seasoned worship leader and songwriter, she frequently weaves worship, God’s Word and spiritual practices together. She is a chapel provider for a shelter for the houseless and a certified Grief and Trauma Healing Facilitator. Serving at global retreats for Kingdom-minded women delights her soul.

She has written for Global Trellis and Missio Nexus. She connects God’s Word with the reality of our daily in all the ups and downs.

Joy is married to Roger. They live in Coppell (Texas). Joy is called "JoJo" by her nine adorable grandchildren. She enjoys the outdoors and encourages flowers to grow in the Texas heat.

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Connect with Joy:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joy.beless
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joy.beless/
Website: www.joybeless.org

Devotionals for the Heart: When God helps you to bless someone in need

A Mother’s Day Blessing
A devotional by Angela Anderson

“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”

–Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

My husband was on his way to go shopping for me because Mother’s Day was approaching.

Although he was not certain of what he would purchase, he knew what stores he wanted to visit in his quest for the perfect gift. As he was traveling down the road in his car, he realized that he did not have as much time as he thought—he would soon have to return home. Nonetheless, he felt the urge to visit a particular store that was not on his original list of locations to shop.

Once he was in the store, he started aimlessly walking through the aisles. In less than five minutes, he heard a quiet voice behind him: “Excuse me, Sir.”

He turned around and saw a lady standing in the middle of the aisle. As she approached my husband, he noticed that the lady had a robe and a pair of slippers in her hands. The lady started telling my husband about her mother who was now in a nursing home. The lady wanted to give the robe and slippers to her mother for Mother’s Day, but she did not have any money to purchase the items. She asked, “Can you please buy this robe and slippers for my mother?” My husband accepted the request. He walked with the lady to the register and paid for the gifts.

As my husband left the store empty-handed, he thought for a moment about what had just happened. He was not planning to go to that store. A matter of fact, he did not buy anything that he was looking for from that store. He also noticed that there were quite a few people in that store, even before he arrived. He was only there for about two minutes when the lady approached him and asked him to buy the gifts for her mother. He then knew that he was in that store for that purpose. Perhaps the lady had prayed, asking God to provide a way for her to give her mother a gift for Mother’s Day, especially now that her mother was in a nursing home. My husband was part of God’s plan of provision for the lady.

There are times in our lives when we may make plans, but God is the One who already has the agenda. We may not know why things happen in our lives, or why people come and go, but one thing is for sure: There is no such thing as a coincidence in the life of a Christian. Once you give God control of your life, that means you are willing to follow His plan for your life. Even when the plan does not seem to make sense, just trust that God is ordering your steps.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, we are so thankful for You! We acknowledge and thank You for Your presence in our lives. Open our hearts and our minds to receive Your Word and obey Your will. Help us to make ourselves available to be used in Your service. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Note from Alexis: Angela’s devotional message reminds me of the song “Your Steps Are Ordered” by Fred Hammond. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Angela Anderson was born in Brooklyn, NY, and raised in NJ. She found her love for writing when she was in elementary school. She continued writing through high school, college, and into adulthood.

Angela is the author of a devotional book titled, Just When I Thought I Knew God, and a children's book that is not yet published.

In 2021, Angela started writing articles for an online magazine called Christian Women Living, where she focuses on writing messages for mothers and sharing advice on parenting. In addition to this, Angela wrote a devotional that is featured in a book published by Proverbs 31 Ministries. The book title is Hope When Your Heart is Heavy.

Angela has a passion for inspiring and impacting others through her writing as well as speaking. She is the co-founder of Anchor Moms, a ministry to cure loneliness in Motherhood. Currently, this ministry meets via a group on Facebook.

Angela has been married to the love of her life, Duane Anderson, for 17 years. Together, they have two sons: Thomas (age 9) and Ryan (age 4). Angela’s favorite pastime is journaling, and she also enjoys spending quality time with her family. Her personal mission is to empower others to achieve their goals and dreams.

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Connect with Angela:
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/angela.thomasanderson
Facebook fan page for her devotional book, Just When I Thought I Knew God:
https://www.facebook.com/jwitikg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelanderson1104/

Devotionals for the Heart: God's Love

God’s love is stronger than even a mother’s love
A devotional Jessica Brodie

It’s a five-by-five booklet of vanilla construction paper, folded and stapled just so, and it’s one of the most precious things I possess.

Titled “About Mom,” my now-preteen son, Cameron, crafted it for me when he was about six, probably for Mother’s Day. The booklet consists of eighteen pages, each with a single sentence on each page written in pencil in what was his very best handwriting:

Thank you for everything.

You are so nice and sweet.

I love you so much.

I will behave every day.

You mean a lot to me.

I love your eyes and your heart.

I will never be mean to you ever again.

You are not mean.

You are sweet and pretty.

I will not give you a mean look.

I love red because you love it.

You do not do anything wrong.

If I were you, I would be bad.

I would protect you.

I would give them a punch, a kick butt.

I hope you’re safe.

That’s why you should stay out of danger.

Cameron is my oldest, the boy who made me a mom in the first place, and his sensitive and fierce soul is reflected in each of those pages—his valiant small-boy pledge to protect me from danger, his promise to behave, his insistence that he’ll never be mean to me or give me a mean look, his flattery, his sweet words. I look at him now, feet taller and almost thirteen, and can still hear those words pour from his lips, still know he meant them with every ounce of his being.

We’re close now, Cameron and I, but I know things are changing in his world. He’s in seventh grade now, and soon he’ll be in high school, then college. He’ll meet the woman of his dreams and start a family. I hope and pray we’ll be just as close as the years pass, hope I’ll be able to love and know his wife and his children, hope I’ll see him grow old, become even more wise and mature and kind. I have so many dreams for this child, now and far into the future.

Is that what God thinks when He looks at us, I wonder? He hears our prayers in the lonely night or the stillness of dawn, heartfelt and pleading, and knows we mean them completely. He hopes we’ll stay close to Him, hopes we’ll remember Him, though He understands—even if He doesn’t much like it—when the distractions of life pull us here and there and far from Him. Still, He is there, His love unchanging and unfailing, heart soaring when we return.

That love is sometimes unbelievable to us. We feel guilt about our sins, guilt that we turned from our Lord. We fear He will reject or forget us.

Never, God tells us through His prophet, Isaiah: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me” (Isaiah 49:15-16 NIV).

God loves us even more than a mother loves her children. His love is more than words, more than a life stage, more than a promise. It’s a covenant, a seal, a truth we can count on for always. He loves us so much He even “gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

As consuming and powerful as they are to me, the dreams I have for my sweet son can’t hold a candle to the dreams God has for us, His children. Those dreams include eternal life! Life forever, with Him! We are blessed beyond measure.

Today, I hope you love the people in your world—whether children, spouse, family, or friends—with all your heart…and remember that however strong that love is, God’s love for us is ever stronger. Forever.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is a Christian author, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach. 

She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism.

Learn more about her fiction and read her blog at http://jessicabrodie.com/shiningthelight.

Devotionals for the Heart: Women of God and Mother's Day

Beyond ‘Mom’: Celebrating Women of God
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

This Sunday (May 13) is Mother’s Day, a day that used to have one meaning for me: an opportunity to make my mom feel loved and cherished in gratitude for enduring a twelve-hour labor with no pain medication and then raising me, a precocious, bookish girl, to maturity.

But like so many things over the years, this day has evolved. Today, not only do I celebrate my own mother, but also my equally outstanding mother-in-law, my sister and sister-in-law, my stepmother, my aunt, and my grandmothers (here on earth and in heaven). And, of course, my husband and four kiddos—two biological, two “bonus” courtesy of our blended family—celebrate me, too, which always seems entirely unnecessary but very, very sweet to experience as they gather homemade cards and crafts in my honor.

And yet I can’t stop there, for I also celebrate the other women in our world… my children’s stepmom and my stepchildren’s mom, both loving, strong people who adore those kids and help shape them into the great people they are becoming. I also embrace and appreciate all the other women who influence my kids right along with me. I might carry the title “mom,” but we all work together in this: their brilliant and compassionate teachers, their ministry leaders at our church, the moms in our small group Bible study who pray for our flock daily, my other mom-friends in our neighborhood who take turns with me in caring and loving on all our kids for playdates, carpooling, and sleepovers.

They say it takes a village; I say they’re right.

While I’m blessed to have a wonderful biological mother who is a Christian, many of my friends have mothers who have already passed on—and others have it far worse: Their mothers are not women of faith. Some are addicts, driven by a demon and looking to fill the proverbial hole with anything but God. Some, whether from fear or circumstance, have left their children behind. Some are in prison. Some they haven’t talked to in years.

Sadly, I also have friends who are adoptive and foster moms but not fully comfortable with their role; they feel like “false moms” (they most certainly are not!). Others struggle with infertility, like I once did, or have decided for a variety of reasons that birthing children is not something they intend to do, yet the holiday still haunts them.

Where I live, there’s a place, Epworth Children’s Home, that has chosen not to celebrate “Mother’s Day” at all but rather “Women’s Day.” Their director said Mother’s Day at Epworth does not bring smiles and pleasant memories but is often a reminder of broken promises and shattered dreams. So instead, they focus on what it means to be a woman in the eyes of God.

Here’s the thing: “Mother” is not an identity. And while it’s a lovely thing to take a day to celebrate the woman who birthed us or the women who helped shape us, in reality, our children are not “ours” but God’s—and we are not “mothers” first but rather “children of God.”

In fact, as a Christian, if I’m truly honoring my Savior, I’d do well to keep that open-ended concept of family in mind.

In Matthew 12, Jesus was teaching God’s word to a large crowd when someone told Him that His mother and brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to Him.

“(Jesus) replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ Pointing to his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother’” (Matthew 12:48-50, NIV).

Family isn’t mere biology or bloodlines. When we toss aside the mantle of the world and instead choose to follow Christ, we not only gain a new life, but also a new family. We are no longer daughters and sons of flesh and blood but children of the Risen God. Our parent is God, and our siblings are all who walk alongside us in faith.

Happy Mother’s Day, then, and Happy Women’s Day…to God, to my mom, and to women of faith everywhere.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Jessica Brodie is a Christian author, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach. 

She is the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate (AdvocateSC.org), the oldest continuously published newspaper in Methodism. 

Learn more about her fiction and read her blog at http://jessicabrodie.com/.

A cool treat for Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

Dear MOMs of the WORLD,

God loves your dear heart! 

Keep shining your light of love, providing, blessing and protecting your children.

They are BLESSED to have a GOOD MOM like you!

Love,

Alexis

A Message for MOMs: