May 31, A Mother’s Love (Perseverance, 2 Peter 1:5-9 Study cont)

2 Tim 1:5 I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. (NLT)

WHEN on May 18, 2018, just 5 days after Mother’s Day, purportedly 47 year old Founder/CEO of Goddessy Organics Stephanie Adams fatally pushed her 7yr old son Vincent and then leaped herself WHERE from the top floor of the Gotham Hotel in NYC around 8:15a.m. WHAT?! Adams, a self-claimed direct descendant from Presidents John and Quincy Adams was a stunning model since the age of 16. Not only was this New Jersey native a famous centerfold for a popular men’s entertainment magazine but was also a university graduate who founded her own publishing agency in 2007 called Goddessy. WHO was Raised by two aunts, Stephanie following the death of one of them from breast cancer, authored one of two dozen metaphysical books called -He Only Takes The Best. Despite winning a 1.2 million dollar lawsuit against the NYPD for physical injuries, Stephanie was already a self made millionaire before the age of 30. It was reported that she was distraught from the legal inability of travelling with her son to Spain and/or being involved in a nasty divorce court battle with her also wealthy husband. No one fully knows the underlying reasons such a beautiful, intelligent, affluent, middle aged woman with an outwardly seeming amazing life would take hers-and that of her only child. WHY???

HOW could she? When by and large, good mothering traits include empathy, strength, patience, support, humility, authoritativeness, kindness, hardworking, forgiving, persevering, loyalty, positivity, responsibility, trustworthiness, creativity, selflessness, protection, instruction and LOVE. Such astounding love that ties all of these qualities together, covers over and fills in the erroneous gaps made in showing them. Characteristics that have stirred some of the most beautiful, tear provoking songs like The Spinners Sweet Sadie, The Intruders I’ll Always Love my Mama and Boyz 2 Men –A Song for Mama. Love that’s inspired some intense movies like Sophie’s Choice starring Merryl Streep or Breaking In with Gabriel Union; motivated some heartfelt speeches like Kevin Durant’s message to mom Wanda Pratt “You are the real MVP”. Essentially, I think about my own mother, Carolyn. “Mommy” as I still affectionately call her now well into my adult years epitomizes all of these characteristics above and beyond. So every mother’s day, calling her, sending her gifts, praising her for all she has done and continues to do seems unparalleled to what she means to me. For me her greatest legacy will be showing me faith in God. My late grandmothers too Gladys and Clyde teaching me to pray and to always go to church. I’m grateful that my mothers persisted in the hardest of times, stood fast through the most tumultuous of emotions, and carried on through the most devastating of life’s circumstances-despite Satan’s sifting plans. Though my mothers weren’t perfect they relied on a perfect God and His word. I live to do the same. So I thank God because of who they are and were- intelligent, beautiful and wealthy in all things that everlastingly matters. LOVE. Because of them -I am!

Concern: Sister, are you a loving mother? Whether or not you have children you can model persevering traits of a good mother to those that look up to you in your family and community.

Encouragement: John 19:26 “When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son! While Jesus was dying he took time to honor and show concern for his mother. He showed mothering concern over Mary and tasked the apostle John to look after her in his home after his earthly death.

Act: For those of us sisters that are blessed to have our mothers still here with us let us show Jesus like concern for our mothers. “Give me my flowers now!” my late godmother and aunt Minnie would say meaning don’t wait till she passed. Don’t save till Mother’s day to call*, visit, care, give thoughtful gifts, after your earthly moms (family, neighbors, sisters in the ministry, etc). God commands us to (Matt 15) and because it is the lovingly right thing to do. For those that no longer have our mothers here we can carry on their legacies of love and show them respect by planting flowers by their grave or remembering them in our thoughts, words and actions. Sisters, even if your mother mistreated, abandoned you or in some way sinned against you -God still calls you to LOVE (Luke 6:27) You can always Pray for your mother that she will find and follow the Lord. Know that you can be kind and feel a mothers love because God loves you. (Isa 49. 15). Persevere because love never Fails. 1 Cor 13.

*Did you know? In the United States alone, around 122 million phone calls are made to moms on Mother’s Day.

My mother and I, 2012