John Chapter 19:25–30 in "A Sword for Mary", Mother's Day 2025

In Australia, 22% of families with children aged 15 and under

a lone parent families, that is there's just one parent in the

home, 22%. It's nearly 1/4 of our nation

doesn't have two parents at home and most of these, around 90%,

are headed by women, that is, women by themselves raising

families, running homes, 90% and their mothers.

Napoleon Bonaparte said the future destiny of a child is the

work of a mother. Doctor John Walvoord tells us of

a mother who prayed for her son for 60 years to be saved.

One week before her death, the mother received a long distance

phone call from his son saying, Mum, I've given my heart to the

Lord. My you and I never give up

praying for our unsaved family. My you and I never give up on

our brothers and sisters who aren't here today in church with

us. Maybe they're in another another

country. Many of you from overseas don't

stop praying. Your prayers reach reach God and

they reach your family. Some people can say don't tell

me anything about I don't want to hear, but you can always pray

for them. That's the greatest weapon and

ministry of evangelism that you have is your prayers.

On a Mother's Day card, a little child's printing appeared on the

outside. It was designed by a little boy,

and on the front was a drawing of this little boy with his

shoes. Life is united.

Scattered around him in disarray was a little waggon, multiple

toys, and there were fingerprint smudges over all the card.

I don't know if you remember. I remember going to school.

Keith, don't take us too far. When was that?

World War One or what was it? But the first, I don't know why

they gave it to us in grade one. We had these pencils.

They were huge pencils and they smudged no matter what you did.

Soon as you put your hand on boys pages it was like, Oh my

goodness, girls are all nice and neat.

But the boys in smudge with these grape and they smudged

everywhere. And so they were smudges all

over this card and the card read this, the words of the little

boy Mum. I remember that little prayer

used to say for me every day. And on opening the inside of the

card was the little prayer written in struggle, printing

words backwards and upside down. The prayer written said God help

you if you ever do that again. A second grade teacher, Year 2

teacher who had given a lesson on magnets, just finished the

lesson on magnets and the kids have played with them, then gave

them a test. What starts with M and picks up

things. Many of the children wrote Mum.

On a serious side, it is said that the death of a mother is

the first sorrow in the home wept without her.

And so the scene before we read it.

Jesus is 33 years of age. He's been brutally beaten, so

much so it shocked Pontius Pilate, and it was almost

impossible to recognise his visit, who he was, such was the

the scars and the wounds of his body and his face, his physical

appearance. And now here on Golgotha, the

place of the skull, Calvary, he now hangs by great spikes that

have been driven nailed through his palm, arms and his feet.

And he's suspended. He's hanging on this cross

between two thieves, criminals, an innocent man between two

criminals. As he hangs, his breathing is

laboured. He's got to push himself up from

the little seat that they would put on the cross.

And from the pain of his feet, push yourself up to try and grab

a breath, because that's how you die.

And crucifixion. You suffocate.

He's about to die, huddled at his feet at the foot of the

cross. There's a small group of women

and a young disciple named John. And in that group is a mother,

the mother of Jesus. Mary is her name.

We know that she is now around about in her mid 40s.

You remember Mary who at the age of 14 to 16 years of age, the

Angel Gabriel appeared and spoke these words.

Rejoice holy favoured one, the Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women. When she saw the Angel, she was

troubled. This young Mary at his saying,

considered what manner of greeting this was.

And the Angel Gabriel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for

you have found favour with God. And behold, you'll conceive in

your womb, and bring forth a son.

She'll call his name Jesus. You'll be great.

We'll be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will

give him the throne of his father David.

It will reign over the House of Jacob important word forever,

and of his Kingdom important words there will be no end.

And Mary said to the Angel, How? How can all this be, since I do

not know a man, I haven't been with a man.

The Angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come

upon you, and the power of the Highest will over shadow you.

Therefore also the Holy One is to be born, will be called the

Son of God. Then Mary said these words,

Behold the man's maidservant of the Lord, let it be according to

your word. And the Angel departed from her,

young Mary, already speaking unselfishly like a mother.

Mary at a young age suffered greatly.

Her espoused husband engaged to Joseph was going to divorce her.

Even though the ratification of the marriage had occurred in

Jewish custom and war, espousal was the same as marriage and you

had to be divorced from your engagement.

Joseph heard Mary said I'm I'm pregnant.

He said well how does this happen?

She tells him an Angel opinion. He's crying a good and he's

going to a divorce, but only by the intervention of an Angel

sent from heaven. Did Joseph not divorce young

Mary? And then her birth of the sorry,

the birth of Jesus, the Son of God.

It wasn't in a beautiful hospital.

It was difficult. She had to ride on the back of a

donkey in the last stages of her pregnancy, about 90 miles from

Nazareth to Bethlehem. Then she arrives, there's no

room, and she's moved over into a dirty little stable.

Actually, it's a cave. You can still see The Cave in

Bethlehem today. And in the midst of this cave

surrounding her, Joseph and where she's going to give birth,

our animals tethered. Eight days later, this poor

couple with a couple of turtle doves, as was the custom,

attended the temple. It was the time of Mary's pure

purification. She had to do this.

It was the time of Jesus circumcision and it was the time

of Jesus dedication, just like we did this morning.

And they couldn't bring a lamb because they didn't have much

money. So turtledoves was the offering

of the poor. And there there was a prophet

who met them and saw them, a prophet who had been promised by

God that he would see the Messiah before his death.

His name was Simeon. And Simeon said these words to

this very young mother, holding an 8 day old child.

And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, Behold, this

child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel,

and for a sign which will be spoken against.

Then he said these words. Yes, a sword will Pierce through

your own soul also. That was to Mary, that the

thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

The Greek word, the Greek writing here is that the sword

will be a constant piercing in your life.

Mary, this is going to be a difficult life, a difficult

motherhood. Back at Golgotha we go back to

the cross, and there at the foot of the cross, as Mary sat there

looking up at his Son Jesus, Simeon's words would have run

painfully clear in Mary's heart. Yes, the sword will Pierce

through your own soul. Also, the image of the sword was

for Mary alone. Mary would have a life of much

suffering. What strange words with these

are piercing sorrow for one highly favoured by God.

You see the church, sadly, that is preaching a gospel that's

different to the Bible is preaching a lot of self help and

it's only positive stuff to people coming to church.

And people say, well, that's what I want.

I want to go to a church while I hear stuff.

Good times all the time. But when you actually go out the

door and live the moment you hop in the car, it's not a good

time, is it? It's not a good time on the road

when your kid goes off to school, it's not well, they came

and had a wondrous day today. Everyone was just so nice to me,

or the teacher was so pleasant to me, or I did this so well.

When you go to work and you're treated roughly or poorly or

abused in some manner and you've done nothing, it's a different

world out there. And the gospel that you and I

need is the true gospel of the Bible.

And it's the gospel that tells us we live in a fallen world.

We're going to face problems. But the gospel of Christ is what

you need. It enables you to overcome what

the world throws against you. How unreal it seemed at the time

for Mary as she heard those words, holding her infant son

Jesus in her arms. Just eight days old.

Sword to Pierce me because Jesus rejection.

And there's a story behind this as I read it again that I hadn't

seen as clearly as this Mother's Day.

Jesus rejection would also be Mary's rejection because

remember, Mary was the woman pregnant before her marriage.

Jesus was always referred to as illegitimate, and not until and

only when the resurrection of Christ occurred would Mary's

story be ratified. All that time Mary would have a

sword continually piercing her. As she went to the shop, as she

went to the market, as she went to the well to get water.

That's her. I heard the story.

What a joke. Jesus resurrection was Mary's

only vindication, yet those words from that old man had come

to pass. Now, 33 years later, here at

Calvary, at the foot of the cross, as a mother watches on.

Think about it ladies, a mother watches on as her son dies

before her eyes. Let's read John chapter 1925.

Onward. Now there stood by the cross of

Jesus his mother and his mother's sister Mary, the wife

of Clopas and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his

mother and the disciples whom he loved, that's John standing by.

He said to his mother, Mary, woman, behold your son.

Then he said to the disciple John, behold your mother.

And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

So we get the understanding of what was being said there.

After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now

accomplished, after this, after these final words with Jesus,

with John and with Mark, with his mum, that the scripture

might be fulfilled. He said I thirst now a vessel

full of sour wine was sitting there.

They filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on his sip, put it

to his mouth. So when Jesus had received the

sour wine, he said with his last breath, it is finished bowing

his head, He gave up his spirit. Now the gospel tells us, he

says, into your hands, Father, I commend my spirit.

And he died. He gave his life.

His life wasn't taken from him. Don't get that wrong.

Jesus could have lived forever. He gave his life to die.

First point, I'm going to give you 4 points this morning.

They're points for mums, but also points for each and every

one of us. A mother's torments.

The point is this. God knows our struggles.

God knows a mother's struggles. 2025 Mother's Day.

God knows your struggles. Man, woman, child, we each and

all at different times face torments, don't we?

Even the youngest in church, young ones in Sunday school,

junior church, it can be a school bully in the early years.

I remember in years one and two, there's one kid just on me,

crazy kid, foul kid, just on me and on me and on me, tormenting.

What are we to do when we're facing such torments in our

lives? But a mother's torments are

usually in the secret hours of the night.

A mother's tears are not heard by anyone else in the house as

the others sleep. We read in Proverbs 31 as

prayers are spoken by her, whispered so not to wake amidst

eyes puffy and soaked, cheeks wet.

And she prays for her husband, a son, a daughter, grandchildren.

And she parades each and every one of them before the throne of

God, bringing them, Oh God, I bring him my husband, Oh God, I

bring him my son now. And she takes them into the very

intimacy of the throne of God. A mother's heart struggling with

the love she has, those closest to her because she's being

stabbed in the heart by the sorrows that they're facing.

A mother often wondering if her heart will burst.

I don't know if I can do this. For the burden she feels and

carries is often simply too big to bear.

But she is a mother and God has created her to do this wonder,

this role. Only she can do it.

God has given her a heart that can carry extremes of pain.

How is that? Well, even when they become a

mother. In the process of being a

mother, pain comes. Labour pains, birth pains.

This is all motherhood, the threshold, the beachhead of the

beginning ministry of a mother. It's going to be 1 of pain and

sorrow. Years of perseverance follow.

And yet mothers still have the sensitivity to fill a massive

reservoir with their tears. They don't harden up.

How many days have you cried for me?

How many tears have you dried for me?

How many days have you worried long?

How many years have you filled with song?

Nobody knows but you, Mother. How many times have I hurt your

heart? How many times have we had the

part? How many prayers have you said

for me? How many miles have you walked

for me? Nobody knows but you, Mother.

But another knows. There's one other who knows.

Psalm 56. Eight says these.

You keep track of all my sorrows.

You have collected all my tears in your bottle.

You have recorded each one in your book.

God knows every time a mother has wept, every time you as a

believer has wept, God has noted.

God has captured and kept. Isn't it amazing?

I wonder if we go to heaven, when we go to heaven, we'll be

given there'll be something in that mansion that we have maybe

placed on our bed bottles. What are these?

Well, it says these are your tears.

And what is this book? Because the Bible tells us when

we get to heaven, the books are opened, not just the book of

life. Could it be that when we go into

our room prepared by Christ for us, that there is a library and

we pull out this library and we go, There it is.

I remember when I wrote it down, I recorded it.

A sword shall peers through your own soul as a mother.

Jesus torments were her torments.

Isn't that the same? When you go to hospital and you

see one of your kids in bed sick or at home sick, what is the

first thing you want to do as a parent?

Swap, isn't it? If only I could swap.

And only I could take your place now.

Mary sat there and looked as she looked up at her son.

She too was on the rack, stretched until bursting whilst

he was on the cross. Her heart bled with his wounds.

When your son or your daughter or someone close to you feels

the wound and you feel it too. When someone tells you, oh this

is happening, you go, Oh no, you, you feel it.

His repurchase fell to on her as they would on all mothers,

because Jesus was His Son. Yet Mary did not wring her

hands. She didn't tear her clothes and

say this is not right, this is unfair.

She didn't make an outcry. She stood at the foot of the

cross. She remained at the cross.

She didn't run. She was composed, her friends

with her. She was a mother.

She would stay. She would continue to be his

mother no matter what. How was Mary able to do this?

What kept her? Who kept her?

She is all mothers I believe can be was being strengthened surely

by a divine power. You and I don't realise this,

but we wouldn't make it through a day without God's help.

We would fold like a deck of cards, you and I, when we don't

give God the decency of saying hello God, I want to speak to

you, God my day. Thank you Lord, when we do that,

we are so rude and I'll mannered to he who loves us because he

keeps you in the palm of his hands throughout the whole day.

Your hearts, your heart beats, your lungs move, you breathe,

your blood keeps pumping. He's doing all of that.

Surely Mary had a full expectation of Jesus

resurrection than the rest had. Why would I say that?

How could I say that? Can I back that up biblically?

Yes I can, because you remember Mary was told, we read it out.

The words of Gabriel said this. He will reign forever.

His Kingdom shall have no end. She had been told this.

We often don't know what we can bear, do we?

Till we have been tried and then we find something else.

That Paul realised. He prayed 3 times for something

and God said no. Lord, can you remove this thorn?

It's hurt, it's painful, it's difficult.

No, no, no. And then God said this, here's

my here's the answer. Paul, stop praying.

You're going to keep it. I've allowed this.

My grace is sufficient. You see, only when we go through

times of trial do we understand and then do we learn because you

don't know about grace. We think we do, but we don't.

We learn that God's grace is sufficient when even though the

doctor says it's not good, even though we're in the intensive

care waiting room and it's it's not good.

We learn there and then at that time, God's grace is still

sufficient, does not give up. You see, God's grace is

sufficient. Do you understand that in your

life now? Do you realise that God's grace

is sufficient in your life this morning?

His grace is sufficient. How can that be?

Because God is enough. In the book of Colossians, Paul

has been teaching us and teaching us.

God is enough. Jesus Christ is all you need.

You don't need the Jehovah Witnesses.

You don't need the Mormons and any other cult because they're

still scratching and itching and trying to get everything else.

Jesus Christ is enough. God is enough.

Followers of Christ and especially mothers who endure

enormous pain and suffering at times for their loved ones.

God is your champion in time of your greatest need.

How can I say that David wrote these words?

Yeah. Though I walk through the valley

of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

Why? Because you were with me.

Your rod and your staff tell me you're in control, that you're

over all of this. They comfort me.

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth and said, Blessed be

God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of

mercies, and the God of all comfort.

Psalm 146, nine says the Lord preserves the strangers, He

relieves the fatherless and widow.

So we've seen a mother's torment and now .2 we see a mother's

pain, you and I, not just mums. We all suffer pain, don't we?

We get pain in our lives, our lives.

A pain is a disease, a condition actually, where people don't

feel pain and it's difficult for them to live because they can

break a bone, they can be stabbed by something.

That's part of the problem with leprosy.

And they, they don't know they're wounded.

They don't know they've got a broken arm.

Like they don't feel pain. Pain is a source and a help from

God. In the book of Genesis chapter

Genesis 4 · chapter mention

4, you know the story, Cain is speaking to the Lord of the Lord

is speaking to Cain, and God says to Cain, Cain, why are you

angry? Why has your countenance fallen?

I can see you're just angry, man.

What's up with you? If you do well, will you not be

accepted? Because he was upset about his

sacrifice, remember, not being accepted, and Abel's been

accepted. God says if you do not, well,

sin lies at the door and it's desirous for you, but you shall

rule over it. Now Cain talked with Abel, his

brother, and it came to pass when they're in the field that

Cain rose up against Abel. His brother killed him.

First murder. Then the Lord said to Cain,

where's Abel, your brother? Cain said, I don't know.

Am I my brother's keeper? He's a liar.

See, it's just it's starting to unfold sin, its roots are

happening, bursting. And God said, what have you

done? The voice of your brother's

blood cries out to me from the ground.

Now we know that story, but I want to bring up Cain's mum Eve.

Abel's mum Eve. The pain and suffering that Eve

would have undergone with her son Cain murdering her other son

Abel. It's called fratricide.

How that must have ravaged her heart and drained her tears dry.

Man, Can you imagine how she would have felt?

Talk about guilt. Oh, look what I've done.

Look how I. And now look what's happened

from paradise to fratricide to having a son who you love.

Kill your other son who you love.

Yet we find Eve later having another son after a period and

naming him Seth when Adam was 130 years of age.

And Seth means appointed 1 it says.

And Adam slept with his wife again, and she gave birth to

another son, She named him Seth. For she said, God has granted me

another son in place of Abel, the one Cain killed.

And men, it says after that again began again to call upon

the name of the Lord. What happened there?

Could it be that Adam and Eve taught, nurtured Seth in the

things of the Lord? Could it be especially that Eve,

those suffering the pain as of a mother in a way that would have

been like a a sword piercing through her own soul, had found

that the grace of God was sufficient?

Let's have another son. If she could have gone, I'm not

ever having another child. This is too hard.

She could have done that, but God's grace, God's grace moved

and let's have another son. I'll call him Seth.

See how? See how God's grace is working.

It kept her. God's grace was sufficient.

It held her up to have another child.

Seth. God's grace is sufficient is the

Greek word archaeo, which means it possesses an unfailing

strength. God's grace will never fail you.

I believe all godly mothers have the ear of the Lord intimately.

Oh, more than others. Keith, is that what you're

saying? No, but I am saying they as

mothers are in the ear of the Lord more than others.

Get me? They're the keepers of the

night. They're the prayer watchers of

the family. This is why so often it is women

who dominate the attendance at prayer meetings.

Why is that? You haven't noticed that?

Why is that? Because they know pray, they

know it works, and they know that this is the most important

thing they can do as a mother. Proverbs 3115.

She also rises while it is still yet night.

Verse 27. She watches over the ways of a

household, does not eat the bread of idleness.

Mothers are the whisperers of the evening, whilst all others

in the house sleep oblivious to her prayers, which are more like

silent weepings and soulful moanings as she intercedes as a

mother for her family over and over, hidden by her smile, her

busyness, her cleaning, her washing, her cooking, while all

others are free to vent their frustrations, their hurts, their

pains. But a mother, No, she must still

be a mother, even though the sword is often driven into a

heart. There's no closing the door and

abandoning the ship, no shutting up shop.

She's a mother, a mother's torment, a mother's pain.

Who cares for those special Saints of the night Who carries

such hidden loads, who pray and pray?

Yet nobody is aware of a hurts but one is.

And that is thirdly, Third Point.

God cares for mothers. And I want to tell you all this

morning that God cares for you. In John 1926, when Jesus

therefore saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing

by, he said to his mother, woman, behold your son mum.

Now John take John like a son, look after him and 21 Jesus was

watching all the people come to the temple and they're giving.

And many were just oh, look how much I'm giving.

Woo Hoo. I believe this Big Bang.

I'm I'm giving my offering now. And he looked.

It's funny that Jesus tells a story that he watched his people

gave. That means God watches us when

we give. And he looked up and saw the

rich putting their gifts into the treasure.

And he saw also a poor widow putting in two mites.

And he said, truly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in

more than all, for all these out of their abundance have put in

offerings for God. But she out of her poverty put

in on all the livelihood she had.

I believe that the poor old widow, widow that Jesus saw had

all her needs met, that a table always had food and a home

always God's protection. We can think of Sarah, but

Hannah as well. One of the widow in the city of

nine whose only son was died and Jesus came to the funeral,

raised him in the coffin. One of the Canaanite mother who

pleaded for her daughter to Jesus.

But just some bread, some crumbs off the table.

Jesus, just help my daughter in all those stories of those

ladies, all mothers were ministered to personally by God.

Jesus with his mother Mary. He had supported her for a

number of years because Joseph had died before Jesus began his

public ministry. Jesus was the eldest and

therefore he had been responsible for helping raise

his half brothers and sisters. Her relation to him had been her

maintenance. Now he was dying.

What would become of her? And she finished.

God will meet a mother's practical needs always.

So Jesus arranges for her to be provided for practically.

Because you see, love always is an action.

It's not a warm feeling. Love is always an action.

Jesus says to John in verse 27. John, look after my mother Mary

now as if she was your own mother.

It's a divine arrangement. Sometimes when God removes 1

comfort from us, you know what he does?

He raises up another. Perhaps we've not looked for it.

Sometimes the one whom he wants us to care for is right

alongside us. Maybe in church even today,

right under our nose. I remember preaching at a youth

camp and I was preaching on the Holy Spirit and praying for the

kids to be filled with the Holy Spirit there and then at the

camp. And as I was praying, I said,

let's pray and ask God just to fill you with the Holy Spirit.

And I felt a tugging on my jumper and there was one of

their children tugging and said I could you pray for me.

And I had overlooked that one. Sometimes the very one that God

says I want you to care for is right next to you.

Do your nose perhaps we've not looked for it.

That shy young person, that struggling young mum you see in

church, that one who has never known the love of a mother when

we're focused on the Lord and he says look who's next to you.

I remember writing out and the first time I did this and the

notice of intended marriage. It's the form you've got to

complete to get married. And I said to the to the bride,

I said now your mum's name you got to put unknown.

I have no idea. So I got I had to write unknown.

Think about that. When Elijah was sent by God to

the widow and Zarephath, you remember the story One king 17,

she was collecting wood with her son.

They're going to make enough wood for a fire for the last

meal. Then they're going to lay down

and die. They were starving to death.

Elijah turns up and he says to do not fear, Go and do what I've

said. Go and make me a small cake from

the last bit of food that you have, and then after make some

for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord God of

Israel, the bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the

jar of oil run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the

earth. You see, sometimes we think,

man, that's a bit bit harsh to what Elijah said.

Cook for me first. But she went and did it and God

honoured what she did. Jesus didn't stop there, but

with Mary did he for in the next verse.

But for those of us who have mothers, something else is

divinely spoken of. Point for the last point, God

promises to provide for the comfort of mothers and to bring

comfort to us all when we're in need of His comfort.

Verse 27 John 19 John John, look after Mary now as if she was

your own mother. It is by no coincidence that the

first commandment with a promise is this Honour your father and

mother. It's the first commandment with

a promise that it may be well with you and you may live long

on the earth. So often we sin and worry, don't

we? We worry or we don't have enough

or how are we going to get by and we forget the words of God.

You know, worry is a sin. It is I worry and I sin and I

have to ask God to repent of that because worry is saying

this. God, I don't think you're going

to get me through it says in verse 25 here of Matthew 6.

Therefore I say the unto you, do not worry about your life, what

you'll eat, what you'll drink, nor about your body.

What you'll put on is not life more than food and the body more

than clothing. He says, so why do you worry

about clothing? Therefore Jesus said, do not

worry, saying, what shall we eat?

What shall we drink? God looks after the birds of the

air, the flowers, For your heavenly Father knows that you

need all these things. Seek first the Kingdom of God.

Was John's mother dead? Salome?

We don't know. Maybe there is a mother needing

someone's care in our church who has no family.

Mary live, we know, with John at Jerusalem for 11 years and then

she died, it's believed, around the age of 60.

And when you go to Ephesus, they believe they can show you where

Mary lived and where she died. Or maybe you're saying, Keith,

Surely God wouldn't know or care about me.

I mean, he's busy, isn't he? He's got far more important

things than to bother with me. God has a heart for mothers and

he takes the time always. Are you too busy for your kids?

Ever done that? Say kids, another time, another

time. Be careful.

Be careful when your son or your daughter or someone comes to you

and it's about the things of the Lord and you go, I'm too busy.

You'll note that Jesus at this time is dying on the cross,

right? He's dying for the sins of the

world. He's done nothing wrong, He's

hurt no one, He's in absolute agony, He's in incredible pain,

and he's busy saving the world. Literally.

Isn't that what he's doing yet as he's dying on the cross,

saving the world, the lamb, the sacrifice that's been promised

before the foundation of the world world was laid.

Yet in the middle of this, he takes time in the middle of this

to care for his mother and for John.

Think about that. You could have said mom.

John got a fair bit on it, man, even before his own discomfort.

As John tells us in the following verses, he cries out

the thirst only after verse 28. Now all these things

accomplished only after he's got mum sorted and he's got John

sorted. So let's wrap this up.

God knows a mother's torment. God knows a mother's pain.

God hears a mother's prayers. God comforts a mother's heart.

God meets a mother's needs. He's never too busy to heed

their cries, and he will never, never, never leave you alone.

Mothers, don't give up praying for those for whom you love.

It is those prayers that reflect more than anything, the very

heart of God. Because God doesn't give up on

you. What is a grandmother?

As we close 1/3 Grader wrote this little poem.

It's not a poem, actually. It's a little story.

He says A grandmother is a lady who has no children of her own.

She likes other people's little girls and boys.

A grandfather is a man grandmother.

He goes for walks with boys and they talk about fishing and

stuff like that. Grandmothers don't have to do

anything except be there. They're old, so they shouldn't

play hard or run. Or if they take us for walks,

they should slow down past things like pretty leaves,

caterpillars, and they should never say hurry up.

Usually grandmothers are a bit big, but not too big to tie your

shoes. They wear glasses and funny

underwear. They can take their teeth and

gums out too. Grandmothers don't have to be

smart, only answer questions like why isn't God married and

how come dogs chase cats? Grandmothers don't talk baby

talk like visitors too because it is hard to understand.

When they read to us, they don't skip or mind if it is the same

story over again and again. Everybody should try to have a

grandmother, especially if you don't have television because

they are the only Grown Ups who have time.

On this Mother's Day as we close, maybe all bring a

blessing to those who have the ministry of a mother.

It's difficult, but God knows. God knows your struggles, He

knows you suffer pain. God cares for you, and God will

provide the comfort that you need in your hour of need.