Sermon Tone Analysis

AMY YOUNG, www.messymiddle.com

the wide spectrum of mothering

To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you

Summary: Resurrection, Mothers, New Life

To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you

To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you

To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains – we appreciate you

To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away—we mourn with you

To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointment – we walk with you.

Forgive us when we say foolish things.

We don’t mean to make this harder than it is.

Resurrection, Mothers, New Life

To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you

To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you

To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children – we sit with you

Introduction:

To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you

To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we acknowledge your experience

As I was doing some research for this service I ran across these quotes about children (share quotes).

To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst

To those who have aborted children – we remember them and you on this day

We have a great partnership with my old alma mater, James Lane Allen Elementary School so I thought you might like to see a few special pictures that students drew honoring their mothers or important women in their lives...(show pics).

To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children – we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be

To those who step-parent – we walk with you on these complex paths

To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren -yet that dream is not to be, we grieve with you

To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve and rejoice with you

To those who placed children up for adoption — we commend you for your selflessness and remember how you hold that child in your heart

As I was doing some research for this service I ran across these quotes about children (share quotes).

And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising –we anticipate with you

This Mother’s Day, we walk with you.

Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst.

We remember you.

There is a such a wide spectrum of mothering.

No matter where you land today.

Happy mothers day!

I loved you enough to ask about where you were going, with whom and what time you would get home.

I loved you enough to insist that you buy a bike, that we could afford to give you, with your own money.

I love you enough to make you return a Milky Way – with a bite out of it – to the drug store and to confess “I stole this.”

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that would have taken me 15 minutes.

*I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that would have taken me 15 minutes.

God had an amazing vision for mothers.

I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, disgust and tears in my eyes.

*I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, disgust and tears in my eyes.

I loved you enough to admit I was wrong and ask for your forgiveness.

*I loved you enough to admit I was wrong and ask for your forgiveness.

I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall and hurt.

*I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall and hurt.

But most of all, I loved you enough to say NO when you hated me for it.

That was the hardest part of all.

*But most of all, I loved you enough to say NO when you hated me for it.

That was the hardest part of all.

I love the story “When God Created Mothers.”

Charles Spurgeon said when asked “who was the greatest teacher he studied under?”

He said, “My Mother...and the greatest lesson, I’ve ever learned was when I was 5 years old sitting on her knee...“Jesus loves me this I know!

For the Bible tells me so.”

The greatest spiritual influence in my life wasn’t my Father, although I loved him deeply and he taught me great Spiritual truths...as well as how to hold my mouth just right to catch fish.

It wasn’t Wayne Smith or Dr. Eubanks.

The greatest influence in my life is my mother.

I watched her get up and go to bed every evening reading her Bible.

I saw her passionately lead other women to Christ and then disciple them.

I watched and listened to her pray like she was talking to her best friend...because she was.

I’ve seen her fight for what is right on the school board like a tiger, and I’ve watched her love and honor my father for over 55 years in marriage and then grieve his loss.

She will turn 88 years old on July 27 of this year.

If Jesus tarried and she’s still alive...even in the twilight of her years she is still my spiritual hero.

I love the story “When God Created Mothers.”

- Erma Bombeck, When God Created Mothers

I love the story “When God Created Mothers.”

When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into His sixth day of “overtime” when the angel appeared and said.

“You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”

And God said, “Have you read the specs on this order?”

She has to be completely washable, but not plastic.

Have 180 moveable parts...all replaceable.

Run on the black coffee and leftovers.

Have a lap that disappears when she stands up.

A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair.

And six pairs of hands.”

The angel shook her head slowly and said.

“Six pairs of hands...no way.”

It’s not the hands that are causing me problems,” God remarked, “it’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have.”

That’s on the standard model?”

asked the angel.

God nodded.

One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, ‘What are you kids doing in there?’ when she already knows.

Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say, ‘I understand and I love you’ without so much as uttering a word.

God, said the angel touching his sleeve gently, “Get some rest tomorrow...”

“I can’t,” said God, “I’m close to creating something so close to myself.

Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick...can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger...and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower.”

The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly.

“It’s too soft,” she sighed.

“But tough!” said God excitedly.

“You can imagine what this mother can do or endure.”

“Can it think?”

“Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise,” said the Creator.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek.

“There’s a leak,” she pronounced.

“I told You that You were trying to put too much into this model.”

“It’s not a leak,” said the Lord, “It’s a tear.”

“What is it for?”

“It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride.”

“You are a genius,” said the angel.