Mothers Day

by

In Awe of Motherhood


Honoring Moms

Growing up we went out to the front yard before church and selected a red rose to wear to church. Pinned over our heart, the rose was a symbol of honor to our mother. We always took extra roses and pins to church for others who did not have rose bushes. Mom and dad wore white ones in honor of their mothers in Heaven. Sadly the tradition is all but lost. I cling to these traditions, the honor and respect of motherhood. A simple red or white flower over the heart was a quiet, simple symbol of honor. Some churches hand out a rainbow of carnations to each female after church; a remnant of what once pointed to honoring motherhood. An all inclusive approach lessens the value of honor.

Motherhood is a blessing

Society has devalued and degraded motherhood. Tabloids, social media and photo apps exploit motherhood showing bared bodies with captions of look at my bump, my peanut, look at this bulge. Sadly, young women of faith have bought into the culture of its all about me. Instead of setting the bar, they except the lower one.

Our culture has lost the awe and wonder of motherhood. We lost the meaning of mother, mom. The whole attitude has changed to selfishness from selflessness. Once mothers placed everyone in their family ahead of themselves. Sadly, many have their looks, programs, groups and activities higher on the list than the blessings that gave them the title of mother. Slowly, the awe of motherhood has left our culture.

Young mothers discuss their bodies, compare size. They talk of ‘me time’, and how to not lose yourself in motherhood. They are more concerned with their appearance than the health of their child. The mother in-line ahead of you is groomed and adorned with the height of fashion. They try to protect their manicure and pedicure, fresh from the spa. They stand with their child in clothes too small, hair and clothes unkempt, and dirty nails. They smack the hand that reaches for candy saying there is no money for treats. The concept of selflessness long lost if ever known.

Sacrificial love, losing oneself in the care of another is Christlike. Motherhood should be the epitome of showing Christ’s love for another. Christ showed no self. His thoughts were of others while dying on the cross.

Selflessness. Motherhood. Honor. Awe. If we as Christians cannot display the respect and reverence of God’s creation, how can we expect the world around us to value life. Abortions, 876,000 a year. We cannot devalue the birth of a child and in its wake the value of motherhood. We distract the world on one hand and reference bulge, bump, peanut and yet decry abortion. What if we showed them the awe of God’s creation and the selflessness of motherhood instead? What if we returned to awe and respect of mothers and their blessings?

Motherhood, in awe of God’s blessings.

Proverbs 31:30 NASB “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”

In AWE of Mothers and motherhood,

Renee’ Green 2020

RBGreenDesigns.com 2020

by

♪♫♫♪TRADITIONS! ♪♫TRADITIONS!♫♪♪♫


Ahhh…Mother’s Day!  Brings back so many memories.  Raised in the South meant following traditions.

Happy Mother's Day!

On Mother’s Day all five of us would go out to the rose bushes and select a red rose.  My brothers would get buds and my sister and I would pick open blooms.  Mother would select a white rose for herself and a white bud for my father.   You wore a red rose to honor your mother who was alive, and a white one for a mother in Heaven.  You simply would not go to church on Mother’s Day without a rose on your shoulder to honor your mother any more than you would go to church without your gloves and hat on Easter.  In fact, many (including my mother) would take extras roses and pins for those who did not have roses in their yards.  Flowers and their colors were non-verbal traditions of deep beliefs.  The practice was carried out on Father’s Day, at funerals and of course  in weddings.  It was a way of saying what you could not necessarily say to everyone.

My youngest daughter was married 18 months ago and I made all the silk flowers.  The grandmothers had two white roses to symbolize the two families they were bringing into the union of their grandchildren.   The groom’s mother wore a corsage of two red roses, symbolic of the two grandmothers she and her husband represented.  I wore a corsage of one white rose and one red rose since my mother is in Heaven and Phil’s mother is alive.  No one ever wore black to weddings as that was a symbol of rejection of the bride or groom’s choice in life mate.  Guests could simply look at flowers and know that grandmothers and mothers were alive even if they were unable to attend; and that by the attire of all those present in the family, that it was a happy and accepted union.

Symbolism … traditions.  Things we pass on as a heritage to our children.  Unfortunately, many points of traditions and heritage are being scoffed at in modern times and legacies are disappearing.   All the world went gaga over a royal wedding of a couple that had lived together for two years and were already  married in God’s eyes.  The girl wore a white dress and full veil, a slap to the meaning of purity they have stood for all these years.   The last royal wedding was not sanctioned until the bride-to-be proved her purity.   Yet so many Christians got caught up in the fan-fare and glamor of a royal wedding, missing the sad part of how they desecrated marriage and the church.   The church sold out the sanctity of marriage for the sake of royalty.  With so little value placed on marriage is it any wonder that motherhood and the value of an unborn child’s life is also devalued.  The morality level of the world slips each time Christians get caught up in the world’s ways.

Sadly, Spiritual traditions are fading with this trend and children are not the spiritual legacies of their former generations.  Grandmothers are not bouncing children on their knees singing to them songs like,  “Only A Boy Named David”, or “Build Your House Upon A Rock”.    Everyone’s lost time for what matters.    So many feel we have to ‘keep up with the times’ which leaves little time for traditions of Spiritual guidance.  In reality, the times have not changed.  There is nothing new under Heaven.  God has not changed.

The scriptures have not changed:

Deuteronomy 5:16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”

Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”Colossians 3:20 “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”

God’s Word sets the standard for the traditions that lead to a legacy in Christ.   Honor your parents … honor your mother.  Your children are watching to see if you honor your parents.  They will treat and honor you as they see you treat and honor your parents.  Create a legacy in your children by being your parents legacy. 

♪♫♫♪TRADITIONS! ♪♫TRADITIONS!♫♪♪♫

I hope each of you gave your Mother’s a great Mother’s Day if she’s alive and that you were given one by your children in turn.