“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” The apostle Paul, I Corinthians, Chapter 13.
While browsing the aisles at the local grocery store, I found them at every corner: Happy Mother’s Day balloons, cards and flower bouquets of every color and variety graced the end of several corridors as I passed by. Indeed, Mother’s Day is the next big commercial holiday once Easter decorations are moved to the clearance bins.
“I Love You, Mom.”
I stared at the humongous card displayed at the end of an aisle and thought about the joy I feel when my children express their love in writing on Mother’s Day or birthday cards. Few things in life bring me more joy than feeling my children’s love and reading about their appreciation for me.
Loving words are precious because the sentiment often gets lost in the mundane nature of our days. It is not as nurtured once our children grow up, and hugs and kisses become less and less frequent. It takes backstage when our teenager argues, rebels, or adult children need us less each day. The love and affection translated into borderline adoration when they were little, become less evident as they grow up, while a mother’s love remains as steady and strong as it was on the days when they rushed to our laps every 10 minutes.
Life’s cycle is full of bittersweet lessons. And motherhood is undoubtedly one of the greatest. It takes being a mother to understand your mother and empathize with her joys and hurts, weaknesses and strengths. And today, with older children and an aging mother, I find myself longing to receive and learn how to give the type of love the apostle Paul described in his letter to the Corinthian church.
The Greek word that the apostle uses for love is “agape,” which means love that sacrifices for the good of others. It is God’s love for us – a love that is undeserving, always selfless, full of grace and enduring.
In the previous chapter of the same epistle, he talks about spiritual gifts and their emptiness and meaninglessness without love. In other words, all the sacrifices we make, gifts we give and words we utter amount to nothing without sacrificial love. Oh, how we long for that type of love. But are we willing to give it?
We want our children to be patient and kind. But are we patient and kind with them and with our mothers? Does love rise above pettiness, and is it generous in how we treat each other?
We want our children and mothers to be humble and not arrogant, insisting that their way is the only way. But are we ready to offer the same humility, empathy and understanding?
We wish our children and mothers not to be irritable or resentful, but do we strive to hold our temper when they grate on our nerves and forgive them when they fail?
Indeed, agape love is not easy, but it’s the longing of every heart.
May the call to agape love challenge us this Mother’s Day. More than three words in a card, or flowers that will perish within a week, may “I love you, Mom” mean that we are willing to sacrifice our time, our will, and even our ways, offering our mothers patience and kindness, forgiveness and understanding. That’s a gift that will not perish or be forgotten.
And believe me, more than anything you can purchase, it’s what mom truly wants on Mother’s Day and beyond.
Patricia Holbrook is a columnist, author, blogger, podcaster and international speaker. Visit her website www.soaringwithHim.com. Subscribe to her podcast God-Sized Stories. For speaking engagements and comments, email pholbrook@soaringwithHim.co
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