The Tribune

By Rev Angela C Bosfield-Palacious

Last week we considered a mother’s call to love and prayer. This week we reflect on her call to celebrate, and we remember those for whom Mother’s Day is a challenging time.

A call to celebrate

1. Celebrate life: Mothers (and fathers), I want you to answer God’s call to celebrate, to find joy in living. Teach your children to have eyes to see and ears to hear the wonders of God’s creation. Show them the flowers and the trees, our sunrises and sunsets, the colours of our seas, and to feel the sweet island breeze. Remind them to remember to be happy and find a blessing in each passing day. Teach them that participation in holy celebration is what will build up our nation.

Ask God to lighten your load so that you may have the joy of the Lord as your strength. Laugh and smile, be pleasant as you represent the Kingdom of God. You are made in God’s image; let that be seen in a face of love. Try not to let anything steal your joy or shake your peace.

1. Balance work and play: Mothers, work really hard to be a breath of fresh air in your home and not “the wicked witch on the broom”. Now men and children, you have to do what you need to do when you are asked, and peace and quiet will be the order of the day.

Work together as a team. Everyone make your bed, put your dirty clothes in the hamper or basket, take dirty dishes into the kitchen, and do whatever are your chores or jobs assigned for that day or that week.

Mother is not a slave. Everyone needs to help, especially if she has a job outside of the home. There are responsibilities that each person needs to have in order to develop the discipline to run your own home when you get married, an apartment if you move out, or dorm when you go to college. Let one of your Mother’s Day gifts last for the whole year. Help pull your weight at home if you tend to be lazy.

Mothers, if you need to do better yourself, then promise God today that you will set a better example. Start with putting down the cellphone and give your children more attention, if you tend to neglect or ignore them for long periods of time.

Lead and teach the way, especially when it comes to tidiness and cleanliness, to worship and prayer. Remember, if you yourself tend to be lazy, then your children also need to have time to enjoy their childhood so there needs to be a balance between work and play.

1. Family activities: Take on family projects together like backyard gardening, or visiting the elderly, and activities such as going to the beach, turning off the TV and playing family games after homework is done. It is my desire for you that you truly learn in this year, how to love the Lord with all of your heart and soul and mind and strength, while learning how to love your neighbours (including family members) even as you learn how to appropriately love yourself.

Remembering those who find it hard to celebrate around Mother’s Days

1. There are those who are not biological mothers, but who have loved other people’s children as their own: surrogate mothers, foster mothers, god-mothers and others, female teachers, youth leaders, and pastors. However, there are some people for whom this is not a comforting compromise.

2. We pray for those who are sad because they wanted to have children and could not, and for those who have had miscarriages and abortions, and still experience regret. We recall those whose children have died from natural and unnatural causes, or whose children did not contact them on Mother’s day. We pray for all of us who have lost mothers to death or Alzheimer’s disease so that they do not know you. We pray for all who are sad on this day for any reason.

Be grateful every day

1. May we thank God every day for all mothers, especially those who are very good mothers, for all grandmothers and mothers-in-law.

2. May we pray for peace and harmony in every heart and every home.

3. May we reach out to all women who have loved us, nurtured us, prayed for us and wanted to see us succeed.

4. With grateful hearts, we say thank you to our God who loves us and delights in us, and placed these women in our lives to help fulfil God’s plans and dreams in our lives.

May God bless them and us all.