We all have one. No one could be here without one. Some are better than others. But, we all need one. Of course I'm talking about our mothers. Dads are not needed, see Jesus' birth! But, moms are indispensable. We couldn't be born without our moms going through nearly nine months of pain and torture!
Most moms, however, have never reminded us of all they went through. Rarely would a mom tell a child of the excruciating pain she endured in the birth process. In fact, I'm reminded of the words of Jesus in John 16:21, "A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world." Jesus points out that we can so grateful for our moms in light of what they tolerated just so we could have a life.
I realize some reading this may not have had a loving and caring mom. She may have been abusive and mean. Yet, even at that, she did give you birth. And, it is up to us to respond in a loving way even to those who hurt us. This year, if she is still alive, order her some flowers and call her to tell her you love her and that the Lord loves her.
For those of us who have loving and caring moms it is imperative on us to let our moms know how much we appreciate all they have done for us. Long days and long nights were part of their lives. They fed us, changed our diapers, and kissed our scraped knees. They washed our clothes, took us wherever we needed to be, and rarely complained. These moms live out Jesus' words.
On Sunday, if your mom is still alive you MUST call her to tell her how grateful you are for her love. If you can, either take her out to eat or fix lunch at home and YOU do the dishes. Then, even when it isn't Mother's Day, show her you love her.
How do you like that!? A tongue is an interesting topic. It is the part of our body that helps us taste good things and not so good things. Our tongues can reveal if we are sick. When we were children we would stick out our tongue as a sign of displeasure. Of course, all good moms scolded us as well. And, if we "speak with forked-tongue" it means we are lying. Tongues are used for many purposes.
But, the word, "tongue," relates to other things as well. When we want to talk about other languages we can say that it is their "tongue." In the Book of Acts we read that God gave the early church a special gift to be able to speak in a language they had not previously known to be able to get the gospel out. Languages are ways we use our tongue to communicate. But, if I don't know a person's language I can not communicate with them.
Next week I will participate in another LIFE camp in Thailand. From May 11-14 over 550 people will gather at the Wangree Resort for a special time of evangelism. Most of the churches we partner with in Thailand use learning English as a way to get the gospel into people's hearts. What they do locally is done nationally once a year. Many in Thailand desire to be able to speak English so they can get a good job. So, we can use that desire to speak English as an opportunity to share the gospel.
Please be praying for me as I leave tonight. Please ask the Lord to give me the right words to be able to bring people to an understanding of their need for Jesus Christ. Please pray for my translator who will take my words and put them into Thai. I need to be able to speak slowly and simply for this to be effective.
Ance LIFE camp is over I will travel to Chiang Rai with Charlie and Lourdes to present a pastor's seminar for some of teh Ahka pastors. I am looking forward to reunion with the Ahka brethren. What a blessing they are to my heart.
