Provides

 

Birds chirping – one of the great signs that spring is here.  Winter in New England finds many birds ‘heading south.’  Waking up to birds chirping is one of the things I miss when winter arrives.  Then spring comes, and the sounds of birds fill the air.  They start pretty early, usually around 4:30am.  That is okay – their sound, each as individual as the type of bird themselves, becomes a choir of harmony.

The picture today was taken from my deck.  This beautiful bird feeder hangs in a nearby tree and every year, a mama makes her home there and I have the pleasure of watching her leave and return to provide for her new family inside.  She leaves to bring back nourishing food for her family.  I am amazed at her diligence of always finding food and caring for the family she has inside the birdhouse.

My mother is much the same.  She would always provide a bounty of food for us growing up.  Our meals were always delicious, plentiful, and made with love.  My dad was a gardener and although mom did not spend a great deal of time in the garden, she was an expert at preparing delicious meals from the harvest along with saving some for future days through canning and freezing.  I remember watching her as daddy would bring in all his treasures from the garden.  I can just imagine what might have gone through my mom’s thoughts, “Really Andrew, MORE zucchini?”  Yet, she never complained and always found creative and delicious ways to utilize the bounty.

She not only provided food for our bodies, but mom also provided food for our souls.  When we were young, and even now as adults, she shows us the importance of God in our lives.  She shows us the importance of prayer, of knowing our Bibles, and the richness gained in worship.  My love for our Lord comes from the example she sets for our family. 

Our job as moms, whether it is for our own children, nieces, nephews, or friends’ little ones, is to help to provide.  It takes a village to raise children, to provide for them.  Whatever gift our Lord has given you to help, use it to the glory of God!  Nourish them, body, and soul, for their future.  Throughout the Bible, we see women helping each other, using their gifts to raise children.  Proverbs 31 paints a beautiful picture of the Christian woman.  There are many examples of women in the Bible, some mothers of their own children or extensions to help others.  May we read and learn from them all.  Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there, especially to my own.  Love you, Mom!

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of moms.  They provide so much for us, body, and soul.  May we always remember them, thank them, and keep them in our prayers.  Amen!