It is a good thing that we set aside a day to honor our mothers. God has given you the mom He ordained best for you, and we honor our mothers for that reason; not just today, but every day. When the Lord laid the moral foundation for the nation of Israel, his chosen people, he included the sacred requirement to honor your mother. By living a life that honors the Lord, you honor the mother he chose to bring you into this world.

As a tribute to our moms, let me share Temple Bailey’s parable of motherhood, written in 1933 for Good Housekeeping Magazine:

A Mother’s Journey

The young mother set her foot on the path of life and asked, "Is the way long?" The guide answered, Yes, and it is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning." But the young mother was happy, and she could not believe that anything could be better than these days. So, she played with her children, and gathered flowers along the way. And the sun shone on them and life was good. And the young mother cried, "Nothing could be lovelier than this."

Then came night and storm; and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold. But the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle. And the children said, "We are not afraid, Mother, for you are near; and no harm can come to us." And the mother said, "This is better than the brightness of day, for I have taught my children courage."

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary. But at last she said to the children, "A little patience and we will be there." So, the children climbed and when they reached the top they said, "We could not have done this without you, Mother." And that night the mother looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardship. Yesterday I gave them courage; today I have given them strength. "

And on the next day came strange clouds, which darkened the earth—clouds of war and hate and evil. And the children groped and stumbled in the darkness. The mother said, "Look up; lift your eyes to the light!" And the children looked and saw above the clouds the Everlasting Light, and it guided them and brought them beyond the darkness. And that night the mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."

And the days became weeks and the weeks months, and the months years, and the mother grew old and she was small and bent. But the children were tall and strong and walked with courage. And when the way was hard, they lifted her over the rough places. At last they came to a hill and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and the golden gates flung wide. And the mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey, and now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them."

And the children said, "You will always walk with us Mother, even when you have gone through the gates!" They stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said, "We cannot see our Mother now, but she is with us still. A mother like ours is more than a memory, she is a living presence.

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I want to take this opportunity to wish all of our moms a very happy Mother’s Day and sincerely hope your day is special in every way.