Birthday

Yesterday was my Mother's birthday.  Although my Mom and Dad are not computer savvy I wanted to use this means of communication to wish her a Happy Birthday.  My family is truly blessed because our parents are still very active in their home life as well as able to participate and contribute to the work of the local church which they attend.  I wanted to take a moment and offer praise to God for the influence that my Mother has made in my life as well as the lives of my family.  Many times we take for granted those influences and fail to express our thanksgiving to God.  On Sunday, May 8th, many families and churches will make a special effort to honor those Mothers who are living and remember those Mothers who have already passed on to their reward.  My wife will fall into the latter category; her Mother passed away at a very early age in 1974. 

Hopefully our nation's morals have not fallen so low that we depend on a "holiday event" to remind us of what the Bible teaches us regarding the treatment of our parents.  The Bible still teaches us to "honor thy Father and Mother..."  I must admit that I see this missing in the lives of many families.  It seems as though we have learned to accept many actions of individuals toward their parents that God would view as the breaking of one of the Ten Commandments.  The Ten Commandments are not mere suggestions rather they are principles that we should apply to our lives.  We have grown to accept dysfunctional as the normal practice of our society.  Children who fail to recognize their parents as a gift from God should take a moment and think of all of the orphans, those who have been neglected, and sadly those who have been abused and realize that life is not as bad as some people have to face on a daily basis.  We are truly blessed in so many ways.  I realize that parents are not perfect.  My parents are not "perfact" parents.  My wife and I are not "perfect" parents.  But my parents certainly have far more good characteristics than they do bad characteristics.  Parents make decisions that children do not understand until later in their life then they are able to understand the rationale of particular decisions.  I wish my Mother a Happy Birthday and Mothers Day.  I am truly thankful for all of the love and care that she has shared with me as a child and the love and care that she now shares with my family.  I am truly glad that God placed me in her care.