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May 15, 2012
Mother’s Day
And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
Genesis 3:20
The first Mother’s Day” was when God created Eve. So how did we get to today’s
Mother’s Day? Believe it or not it was not conceived by Hallmark, The earliest
tributes to mothers date back to the annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to
Rhea, the mother of many deities, and to the offerings ancient Romans made to their
Great Mother of Gods, Cybele. Christians celebrated this festival on the fourth
Sunday in Lent in honor of Mary, mother of Christ. In England this holiday was
expanded to include all mothers and was called Mothering Sunday.
In the United States, Mother's Day started nearly 150 years ago, when Anna Jarvis,
an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day to raise awareness of poor health
conditions in her community, a cause she believed would be best advocated by
mothers. She called it "Mother's Work Day."
Fifteen years later, Julia Ward Howe, a Boston poet, pacifist, suffragist, and author
of the lyrics to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," organized a day encouraging
mothers to rally for peace, since she believed they bore the loss of human life more
harshly than anyone else.
In 1905 when Anna Jarvis died, her daughter, also named Anna, began a campaign to memorialize the life work of her mother. Legend has it that young Anna remembered a Sunday school lesson that her mother gave in which she said, "I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial mother's day. There are many days for men, but none for mothers." Anna began to lobby prominent businessmen like John Wannamaker, and politicians including Presidents Taft and Roosevelt to support her campaign to create a special day to honor mothers. At one of the first services organized to celebrate Anna's mother in 1908, at her church in West Virginia, Anna handed out her mother's favorite flower, the white carnation. Five years later, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution calling for officials of the federal government to wear white carnations on Mother's Day. In 1914 Anna's hard work paid off when Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother's Day as a national holiday.
Mothers, it seems, are extremely talented, who else could sew a button on in a jiffy
without you removing the garment, be sure you always have clean clothes ready, keep the house presentable, always have delicious meals ready on time, take care of pets, provide taxi service when needed, patch up the kids “booboo,” provide loving comfort like no one else, understand all the problems, Have a solution for every situation, Pray for the family and friends, and so much more.
My own mother was much more than that to my brother and sister and me. She was not only mother but a lady. In her younger days before marriage she taught ball room dancing. There was no one smoother on the dance floor than mother. She was a wonderful mother, born in 1900 she went to be with the Lord in 1994. Wonderful memories of her still regularly invade my thoughts. Pauline’s mother, also mother of three, was a lady that loved music. She played piano for silent movies and also played piano music for customers seeking to buy sheet music in, what was at that time considered huge, Woolworthis 5 & 10 Cent store in Baltimore. She also made the best sour beef, potatoes and gravy anyone has ever eaten. In her last years, as a widow she lived with us. Muzz, as she was know, was born in 1893 and went to be
with the Lord in 1987, both these wonderful ladies lived to age 94. Things regularly come to mind that remind us of those wonderful days we spent with those beautiful ladies.
Mother’s day is again here, a time to set all things aside and let MOM know how
much she is appreciated, a flower, a box of chocolates, a piece of jewelry, but
especially a phone call or a personal visit to say “I LOVE YOU MOM” and just
don’t wait for Mother’s Day, every day will do.
Solomon’s Porch Verse for the Day
Honour thy father and thy mother:
that thy days may be long upon the land
which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Exodus 20:12
... And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. John 10:23
...and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. Acts 5:12
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