Labor of Love

One time I read a joke that the reason why Mother's Day is being celebrated in the month of May is that they are the only group of people who really understands the importance and essence of Labor Day.

Certainly, we all could agree about the nobility and divinity of her calling. For in her womb springs forth, with God's anointed blessing, a physical and spiritual life that she will nurture during her nine months of selfless inconvenience. If anybody thinks that her mission is over after child birth, then you have not seen how her time and attention are concentrated and focused in providing for all her baby's need from sunrise until sundown and even during the wee hours of the night. And when her baby is ill, her anxiety notches higher and she hardly takes her eyes off her child to make sure that the baby is recovering well. She feeds, bathes, clothes, massages, sing and hum lullaby songs, plays, reads stories, teaches her baby as he/she grows. Of course she finds time to rest as well but she often does that while she is washing, folding and ironing clothes, cooking breakfast and dinner, washing the dishes and bay bottles. cleaning the house, paying bills in the bank, buying groceries and some more other stuffs she can squeeze her spare time with. She brings up her child in knowing God and how to have a righteous and peaceful relationship with Him.

Proverbs 31: 28-29 beautifully tells us that "Her children rise up and praise her; her husband, too, extols her: "Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all."

True enough, being a mother, no matter how the modern society belittles and disparage her role, is one vocation that personifies God's love, albeit full of human imperfections. A mother's love is the closest one we can experience God's perfect love as Isaiah 49:15 highlighted that ,"Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you."

So for all mothers out there, thank you for all your years of laboring in love.
Happy Mother's Day and we love you.

PS1. If your mother is still alive today, please make her feel back a little of the vast love she has given you. A simple date, a simple flower, a hug, a kiss or even a phone call from afar would make her day memorable.

PS2. There are actually two ways to become a mother - by the womb and by the heart. Caregivers, caretakers and sisters who also labor in love to care for orphans, abandoned, abused, disabled and oppressed children around the world are as equally deserving of a mother's honor for their selfless and dedicated love to these children.Let us offer a prayer for them as well.If you personally know some of them, a personal mother's day greeting will also mean a lot to them.