Mother’s Day is a wonderful time to give thanks for the women who have deeply influenced our lives.
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.
Happy Mother’s Day. On Sunday, we will give thanks to God for women who have blessed our lives. S T Kimbrough has compiled a wonderful little volume of tribute poems written by Charles Wesley. These poems are tributes to women in the early Methodist movement. The women for whom the tributes are written are not famous. Their names are not emblazoned in our hymnals or history books. Yet in their time, they lived beautiful lives before God braiding together spiritual life and the active life.
Charles Wesley described a number of these women as having Martha’s hands and Mary’s heart. He was referencing, of course, the story of Mary and Martha and Lazarus. Jesus visited in their home and Martha busied herself to provide what was needed for the guests while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. I love the way that Charles Wesley brings together these two wonderful aspects of our life in Christ.
On Mother’s Day, we give thanks for women who have Martha’s hands and Mary’s heart. I pause to give thanks for my mother Doris, for my daughter Brooke, for my sister Perri, for my granddaughter Nyla, for my daughter-in-law Alison, for my nieces, Lee and Hope and for the women in my greater extended family. I also give thanks for women who are no longer here; instead they are in heaven with God. I name my mother-in-law Evelyn, my grandmothers, Lessie and Virginia, my aunts, Linda and Dare and Edna and Mary.
I could go on and on and name friends and mentors who have deeply influenced my life, who have comforted me, guided me, offered me wisdom, and who have served as models for my own Christian living.
Martha’s hands and Mary’s heart, may we all seek to live toward God with all that we are, actively and meditatively serving Christ, listening to God and following the Holy Spirit.