Mother’s Day Ups and Downs

By Danny Chisholm

One of the enduring memories I have of Mother’s Day as a pastor comes from my days in Mississippi.

The custom had been to recognize the moms in the church by handing out a pink carnation to those whose mothers were still living. We also handed out white carnations to those whose mothers were deceased.

After one Mother’s Day service, I heard from a dear friend who was in our church. She was a cancer survivor and a wonderful human being. She told me she felt like skipping Mother’s Day because she knew she’d get that white carnation. It was a reminder of sadness and she felt singled out on that day.

From that point on, I resolved to hand out only one color carnation to not only the mothers, but to ALL women in the worship service.

There’s another superhero movie coming out in a few weeks. It’s about a heroine who can deflect bullets with her bracelets, pick up tanks, and demonstrate great bravery in an effort to bring an end to World War I. It’s about Diana Prince, who becomes known as “Wonder Woman.”

I think it’s going to be a great movie, not simply because I’m a fan of the Marvel and DC comics series, but because it will allow girls to see a woman in a strong leadership role. This woman also possesses great beauty in addition to strength, but my hope is that what she is able to do will overshadow how she looks.

I’ll be preaching from Proverbs 31 on Mother’s Day. It records advice from a mom to her son who just happens to be King. It’s a beautiful acrostic poem (in the Hebrew alphabet) intended to be a literary device for memorizing its content.

In what could be the first “Hallmark Mother’s Day card”, these words are shared: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;  but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Proverbs 31.30).

Mother’s Day is a nostalgic day for a variety of reasons. For new moms, this is an exciting day as the first time to celebrate the day as a mom. It’s also a bittersweet day for those whose mothers or wives died in the past year; this is the first time without that person. Some mothers have strained relationships with their children. Some women are not wives, and some wives are not mothers. Some women want to have children but cannot. So, it can be an emotional time.

I think it’s important to celebrate our moms. I also think it’s important to use this occasion to celebrate all women and recall their contributions in our lives. Our church in particular affirms women in leadership and positions of authority, and for this I am grateful.

The last chapter of Proverbs could be considered heroic in its description of the ideal woman, or the initial”wonder woman.” Physical appearance may have some value, but it doesn’t take the place of a woman’s character. This is important to keep in mind in this culture of “body shaming” which scrutinizes young women on what they eat and how they look.

Regardless of whether a woman is a wife or mom, all women should be praised for the “fear of the Lord.” This quality provides the means for a woman to be secure in who she is. May God help us appreciate ALL women in our lives, regardless of the roles they play in the community, church and family.

Danny Chisholm serves as senior pastor of University Heights Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo. Read his blog online at https:/dannychisholm.wordpress.com and connect on Twitter at @ChisholmDanny

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