care – Inspired Life

Do you nurture? Are you responsible for the social, emotional, mental, physical and spiritual care of another? Then you my friend are a Mother. Even if you have not birthed any children from your womb, you are a Mother. Mother Teresa bore no children of her own, yet she was a mother to poor, needy and orphaned children, serving them for over 45 years.

There is a terrible hunger for love.

We all experience that in our lives – the pain, the loneliness.

We must have the courage to recognize it.
The poor you may have right in your own family.
Find them.
Love them.

~Mother Teresa

Our culture today does not esteem the role of motherhood. In fact, that role has been demonized. We’ve even gone so far as to indoctrinate children through many popular animated films that the role of mother is unnecessary. Mother has systematically been erased from these films or is represented as an evil figure.

But God validates YOU Mother. He sees you right where you are. Just as El-Roi saw Hagar and opened her eyes and led her to the well, He sees you. Just as He led her to the water, He is leading us, Mothers, to Him and His word, the river of living waters.

Mother, do you see how vital you are to LIFE? You carry life, you give life, and you speak life. And you provide the most basic yet essential human need of life, LOVE.

Mother You:

Nurture

~The bible says that Sarah, Hannah, Jochebed nursed their babies. Their children were held close as Mother provided life-sustaining nourishment.

Protect

~Jochebed, Moses’ mother hid him (Exodus 2:2). Mothers we have a responsibility to hide our children under shadow of the Almighty. When Herod was on the warpath killing all the little boys, Mary and Joseph fled to hide Jesus Mother, in what ways are you protecting your children from the evils of this world?

Provide

~Every year Hannah would return with a new robe for her son Samuel. Eunice and Lois provided spiritual training for Timothy. How are you providing for the spiritual, physical and emotional growth of your children?

Guide

~ When she could no longer hide him, Jochebed put Moses in a carefully constructed vessel and placed her daughter in position to look over him. She guided him along a stream of living water. To guide is to lead or facilitate, but not necessarily to do everything for. Are there some areas Mother where you need to remove your hands and just guide?

Pray

~Hannah was a woman of prayer (1 Samuel 1:11, 2:1-10). Mary was woman of prayer (Luke 1:46-55). Aaron, the first High Priest wore the names of the children of Israel on his breastplate. And when he would go to minister before the Lord, he bore their names on his chest. How are you bringing your children before the Lord in prayer?

Stand

~Elizabeth said NO to the naysayers and spoke up as to what the Lord told her about the child’s name. She knew people wouldn’t understand, but she didn’t let that intimidate her (Luke 1:60). So when the Lord makes a promise to you about one of your children, later for the naysayers, listen and follow the Lord.

~Mary told the angel let it be to me as you have stated even though she’d risk persecution from the community and rejection from Joseph. Mothers, be on guard, stand watch.

Beware

Do not fall into the mothering traps of:

~Sarah’s interfering in God’s plans by manufacturing your children’s lives (Genesis 18:12-15)

~Rebekah’s manipulation and lying (Genesis 27:5-17)

~Salome’s trying to manage the day-to-day affairs of her adult children’s lives (Matthew 20:20-21)

And because of your faithfulness, Mother you shall be blessed.

Blessings

~Mothers are visited by the Most High or His representatives (Mary, Elizabeth, Hannah, Shunammite Woman)

~Kings of peoples shall be from you (Genesis 17:16)

~The Lord will do for you what He promised (Genesis 21:1)

~Salvation (2 Timothy 2:15)

~Your children will take care of you (Jesus to John, behold your mother)

~Directly impact kingdom building by influencing generations of believers, even those yet to be born

Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

“Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all.”

Proverbs 31:28-29

So Mother, as I reflect post Mother’s Day, I honor you. I celebrate you. Let us rejoice together at the blessing of motherhood.

Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants forever,

just as he promised our ancestors.”

Luke 1:46-55

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

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Happy to connect with friends @ #DanceWithJesus and Fellowship Friday’s

Four faithful companions. How long did they travel to set their friend at the Master’s feet? Did their arms burn after carrying their amigo an untold number of miles, then waiting an untold number of minutes, then hoisting him atop the roof, then peeling the ceiling apart to finally lower the paralytic down to Jesus. Isn’t this a great illustration for what the Word calls us to do: help the weak, show mercy, bear one another’s burdens, comfort, show care and concern and help in times of trouble?

Perhaps these friends had their own requests for the Master. Imagine finally getting a chance to see the long sought after Messiah! Indeed he was back in Capernum and they wouldn’t miss him this time. Perhaps they too had afflictions: a disabled child, a sick relative, out of work. But for now, their issues were of no consequence. Self-interests and comforts were set aside to assist.

How free are we to minister to the hearts of the hurting if we are TOO consumed with our own issues?

Whose arms are you lifting?

When the Amalekites attacked the Israelites, as long as Moses had his staff raised they won the battle. But such is life, we get weary, we get tired. It is in those troubling times that God sends the arm lifters, the burden bearers. Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses, propped him on a rock and held up his hands until sunset and they were victorious.

Again I ask, whose arms are you lifting?

While we are called to comfort, bear, and encourage one another the only one capable of entirely removing the heavy burden is Jesus himself. The companions of the paralytic did their due diligence in carrying their compadre before the Master but once there, the paralytic himself needed to trust and rely on Jesus not on friends for his healing. And it was his faith in Jesus not in his friends that ensured his healing.

That paralytic’s weight; physical, mental or otherwise was so burdensome it held him to his pallet. Like the gravity keeping you pinned to the steel cage on the Zero Gravity (aka Round Up) ride at the amusement park, His back clung to the pallet, only being delivered by the most powerful force, a word from the Master. O the thrill to get on my favorite ride at Canobie Lake Park in New Hampshire, the Round Up. The ride begins by spinning until the centrifugal force is enough to push you against the wall. By then, the friction between your back and the wall holds you there.

It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can be ‘freed’ from the pinning gravity of the Round Up.

Your friends can carry you, they lighten the weight of your burden but the next step is up to you.

Cast your cares on Him for he cares for you.

Take His yoke upon you.

Trade with Him a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness.

Your heavenly Father is waiting. He is your burden bearer. Unload your baggage, lighten up and experience His rest.

Back to our paralytic friend for a minute. The scriptures says he saw THEIR faith, not just the faith of the paralytic but that of his friends as well. While he only spoke to the paralytic directly, he may have rewarded the friends as well for their demonstration of faith. (Mark 2:1-12)

Thoughts to ponder…

Have you made yourself available to be a burden bearer?

Are you casting your cares on Him?

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

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