“Children who have faith have distinctly different characteristics from those who don't. In fact, one of the main manifestations of a person with strong faith is the ability to give—not just in terms of money or possessions, but also time, love, and encouragement.” ~Stormie Omartian

"I guess your kids will be home this weekend."  I've heard that several times this week.  After all, it's Mother's Day, and kids are supposed to go be with their mom, right?  And since my kids are the most thoughtful ever, then surely they will make every effort to be here on Mother's Day - right?   I do indeed have the best kids in the world.  Hands down!  But no, they won't be home with me this weekend.  And that's ok.

Mother's Day in our country began in May of 1908 by Anna Jarvis.  Her mother had died in 1905, and she was looking for a way to honor mothers for the sacrifices they make for their children.  After that first successful Mother's Day of 1908, Jarvis sought to make it a National Holiday.  In 1914 her goal was achieved when President Woodrow Wilson officially established the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

Interestingly, once Mother's Day became a national holiday, it strayed from what Jarvis' original vision of the day really meant.  While she intended it to be a celebration within families, it quickly became commercialized - florists, greeting card companies, and other merchants saw the opportunity to profit greatly, which disgusted Jarvis.  By 1920, she openly denounced the holiday and what it had become and urged people to stop buying cards, flowers, and candy.  She even reportedly went broke, as she spent her wealth initiating multiple lawsuits against groups using the name "Mother's Day" for profit.  By the time of her death in 1948, she was actively lobbying the government to remove Mother's Day from the national calendar.

The simple celebration of families to honor their mothers was turned into something loathsome to the very person who got it all started.  And since that time, the commercialism of Mother's Day has only escalated - in 2010, $14.88 billion was spent on Mother's Day, making it the 4th largest holiday for consumer spending.

So am I implying you should forget Mom and never purchase another Mother's Day card or gift?  Not at all.  I've had some sweet Mother's Day surprises in recent years - like surprise visits from my kids, a very special video they put together for me, heartfelt cards, and many others.  I treasure those things, and those memories continue to warm my heart.  But what I am asking you to consider is the bigger picture.

No, my kids will not be here on Mother's Day.  Instead, they will be busy doing what Jeff and I raised them to do - seeing to the needs of others.  Sarah will get up Sunday morning and make sure her little family gets to worship services on time, as she prepares to teach her Bible class - she's putting God first.  Becca will go to work as a nurse that day, providing tireless care to patients - some of whom will be ungrateful - as she helps her husband provide income for their new little family, which honors God as well.  And Caleb will be traveling to provide comfort to someone he cares about who had surgery this week.  In those ways, they are honoring me more than any card or bouquet ever can.

I loved Mother's Day when my kids were small, and I still treasure those sweet homemade gifts that came from their hearts.  One such construction paper bouquet still hangs from my bedroom door knob.  In some ways, I miss those childhood hugs, sloppy kisses, and high-pitched childhood voices saying, "I love you, Mommy."  And I'm still moved when my kids remember special occasions for me in special ways even now.  But one commercialized day a year does not really matter in the big scheme of things.  Instead, I treasure every hug, kiss, phone call, FaceTime encounter, and text message.  Those all come regularly on normal days and mean the world to me.  It really is the in-between "holiday" times that mean the most.

So if your children can't be with you on Mother's Day, be thankful for who they are and the times you do get to spend with them.  If you are blessed to have them around you on Sunday, be sure to soak it all in.  And if you see me on Sunday with none of my children present, don't feel sorry for me.  I will be happy and counting my blessings - thankful for the three who call me "mom," and the two bonus sons who have joined our family; for the love my family shares that keeps us close in spite of distance; for the desire my children have to come "home" when they can; and for the loving, compassionate, godly adults they have grown up to be.  They are all serving Christ and others, and that's the best Mother's Day gift I could ever receive.

My homemade birthday gift this year from Caleb

"Motherhood is a choice you make every day, to put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is...and to forgive yourself, over and over again, for doing everything wrong." ~Donna Ball