It's Mother's Day. Do Something Different For God's Sake!

Yep.   It's Mother's Day again.   

Time for homemade cards with crayon, water paints, or maybe some kind of pasta & glue.

Time for Hallmark to rake in another bazillion bucks.

Time for emailed cards for those who either can't draw, paste, or get to a Hallmark store.

Time for beautiful, heartfelt gifts for mom.

Time for d***it, I have to do something for mom, $%^&*(!!!

Time to share your true heart with your mom.

Time to be guilted into giving-doing-being something for mom.

Time to dress up and help FTD, 1-800-Flowers, or Pro-Flowers, rake in the bucks with flowers from Ecuador that will die in less than a week.

Or to buy the 50% off wilted rose from Wal-Mart because Lord knows you ''HAVE'' to get something.


Some of us still have our moms...and wish we didn't.


Some of us don't....and wish we did.


And for a great many of us, believe it or not, just wish this day didn't exist because of the pain it causes us.


I've seen some of the most callous and clueless acts thrown as emotional javelins through the hearts of mothers--in church over the years, that--not only I--but a host of mothers just don't show up on Mother's Day because it hurts too much. 


Well, unless they're guilted into it.

Or the mother makes DEMANDS on their family.


As for me, having miscarried too many babies, I've endured
far too many Mother's Day Services than I should have had to.

Not that I have minded giving and serving others; that part was dear and sweet; no, I'm just speaking about heart's like mine today.  


And my best friend, sheesh!, you could write a horror story about the things she's had to endure.   And NO, I'm not kidding.


My best friend and I have both suffered together through some BAD M's Day.   *shudder*

Which brings me to today's Mother's Day. 

My best friend and I have both ENJOYED one of the BEST Mother's Day ever!   Sweet!

Even though my mom is with Jesus, and I do not have any physical children...I have hundreds of spiritual kids all over the nation.   Wherever Steve and I have pastored or he's served in the military, we have "children".

Yesterday, as you know (if you've read my blog) my honey was on his way to Iraq, and is now there--somewhere.

And yesterday as I went to dinner with my other friend Angie last night, I opened the perfectly timed arrival of the cards that Steve sent me.   They were both Mother's Day cards--from him to me--celebrating ME as HIS Proverbs 31 woman.


Then when I got home I opened a large envelope (thought it was ??), and it was a gift from my honey!   A black leather bracelet with a lovely thin bar with the inscription: "Love you more" on it.     And yes, there is a story behind that.    I'm still smiling...

My friend's mom is with Jesus too, as is my friend's husband; but she has been blessed with two way cool sons.  And when I found out what her youngest gave her for her Mom's Day gift, I couldn't stop laughing!

Both because it shocked me and hit me funny, and also because it was just...SO...Joe, her youngest son.   

He got her a gun.   And now they can go target shooting together.  (Sitting her laughing as I type!)  

I wish that you knew all of the nuances and variations-on-a-theme to our friendship, because it's the only way to bring you into just how wacky this is.

And why it made it the PERFECT Mother's Day.   

For her...and for me.

Naturally, we BOTH did NOT go to church today; me in Indiana or her in Texas.   

And no, we did not miss anything, nor did anyone else.

Our Heavenly Dad blessed us both with what we NEEDED to sooth and to minister to OUR hearts--NOT the expected standard.

I'm writing today to celebrate freedom from the expectations and demands of a tight-assed church, locked into the confines of their own individual religiosity.

(Yes, Virginia; I just typed, and you just read what you thought you read.   Get over it and get over yourself.)   


I LOVE my life in Christ.   And I love that I can speak plainly in order to get a point across.   

I pray that everyone had the Mother's Day that they DESERVE--
--NOT THE ONE THAT THEY HAVE TO ENDURE.

And I pray that perhaps my itty-bitty-blog will smack you right between your double-lidded eyes, and you will start to SEE and REALLY honor your mothers and wives and sisters, as The Father would have you to do.

For God's sake!   DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT!

Do something inspired by the Holy Spirit!

Go against the mundane and typical.

GET REAL.

Loving You Like The Mother I am,
Patti