I heard this phrase on a radio program, “Focus on the Family, that I was listening to this week on KOLU 93.7FM. I loved that phrase because it is so true of motherhood; it is truly a ministry. Sadly, our society has been drifting from a mentality of service, but there is a bit of hope for the current young generation who seem to be realizing the need to give themselves to something beyond themselves. We all need to see the significance of the ministry of motherhood and honor the role mothers fulfill in our families, our churches, our communities, and our nation. There is no future at all if women do not value the God ordained ministry of motherhood. None of us would be here today without the role of motherhood making it possible for us. Motherhood is far more involved and demanding than giving birth. The reality of giving birth is the beginning of the personal role of motherhood and it is a lot of demanding work on its own- which is why they call it labor- but motherhood goes a lifetime beyond giving birth. Many people talk about the business of being a mother to young children, but in reality, every stage of life in mothering has its different demands and challenges that involve much energy. When you take the role of motherhood seriously and you invest yourself in the rearing of and caring for your child or children it is a lot of work. Being a mom can be very exhausting and the rest of the family needs to realize all that the mom in their family does for them to have a better life. I am grateful for all that my mother did for me while I was growing up, and I am thankful I was able to give back to her with a bit of help in her latter years. This is my first Mother’s Day without my mother and it is truly a bit different. I am glad that my siblings and I were able to be with Mom when she went into Heaven, and I look forward to seeing her again. I realize many here have already experienced that feeling I have described and I pray for you in your loss. But I want to challenge everyone who still has a mother in your family to love her and honor her and bless her while she is with you to avoid the regret of not doing so when they are gone. Today, we honor the Ministry of Motherhood and we seek to be a blessing to the women we call mother. God bless you!