On Moms and Mother’s Day

It was Mother’s Day last year that God brought me to Gages Lake Bible Church. I preached my candidating message and was blessed to have my mother and my mother-in-law (all the way from Texas–she refuses to miss a single big moment of our lives). I shared a message from the life of Hannah, whose struggle with infertility and faith in God is one of the most poignant stories in all the Bible.

Its been a year and I’m profoundly grateful on many fronts. 
First of all, I’ve been blessed with an incredible mother. Now that I’m a father, I’m more keenly aware of the sacrifices and hardships a mother makes. God gave me a great mother. Not only did she give me life, she led me to faith in Christ, she raised me to love the Lord, she provided for every need, she was always there when we were sick and when we were down. There is a certain intagible gift God gives a mother, to be able to give so much of themselves to their families.

I"m also profoundly grateful for my own wife, who is a wonderful mother to my children. When I married Angela, I knew she’d make a great mother, but in the years we’ve had our children, I’ve seen up close and personal just how gifted and full of life and love she is. I don’t know anyone in the world who can juggle so many different responsibilities and do them all well. Whenever I have to watch the kids while she’s gone, I’m a total mess. If I have to take them anywhere, I’m discombulated and confused. But Angela does it every day with skill and grace. I love her and am glad God put her in my life. She makes it richer.

I’m also privileged to have a wonderful friend in my mother-in-law. Most guys complain about their mothers-in-law, but mine is one of the best. She’s a friend, a cheerleader, an inspiring woman of faith. She’s been dealt a lot of blows in life and yet she manages to keep her faith and her smile. She’s given her life to a lot of people. 
Lastly, I’m profoundly grateful to the people of Gages Lake Bible Church. Pastoring them is  a wonderful gift God has given me. Tomorrow as we join hands on Mother’s Day, it will hard to believe it has only been a year. I feel like this is where I belong and this is where we’ve always been.