Mother's Day!

This Sunday is Mother's Day! I hope you all get a chance to spend time as a family in the morning... eat brunch, breakfast in bed, flowers, a card, a walk, a trip to your favorite coffee shop, make a phone call to mom or grandma, etc... As the husband of a mother of two boys I am struggling to find a 'gift' that is worthy of this celebration, especially on our budget. "Thanks for putting up with crying, pooping, rowdy, back-talking, snot nosed boys.... here's a card!" What!?!?!

Here's the kicker. Mom's, despite the crying, pooping, rowdy, back-talking, snot nosed boys, love what they do. They wouldn't trade it in for anything. I'm not saying a nice card and perhaps a gift card for a massage wouldn't be well received. I'm just saying that it's hard to find an appropriate gift for the woman who went through labor and all kinds of other 'difficult' things, and is still working 168 hour weeks.

I can't help but think that this is a reflection of God's heart to us. He loves us because in his mercy he has called us out of darkness and into light making us sons and daughters. He loves us, because he loves us. He loves us because we are hidden in his perfect, unchanging Son.

In the same way that it's hard to find an appropriate gift for mom, it's often hard to know how to respond to God in light of his mercy, especially on our budget. Not only is it hard to know how to respond, but it can actually be devastating if we respond incorrectly.

One response in particular that is devastating is trying to find the 'gift' that we feel is equal to how much God has done for us. "Jesus died for me, I will repay him with my life." Not what God wants from us... as if we could actually do that. Acts 17:24-25 says, "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. "

Let's not belittle what God has done for us by trying to repay him. The proper response is worship! Just say thank you, I mean really say thank you. That's appropriate.

So give a gift to your wife, or your mom, or your grandma, but don't forget to just say thank you, I mean really say thank you.

p.s. Please RSVP for Summit if you are attending... again Tues., May 12th, 6-7:30 pm at 711 St. Helens... dinner will be served.