Something my Sister Jenny posted on Facebook on March 6th has stuck with me:

She made him a better and more tolerable person. She was a remarkable woman, not only in regards to taming the Monty beast but in just being. I’m going to miss her tremendously. Heading out tomorrow to say goodbye.

Little would we know that Mom would pass on March 7th. She made us better. This will be the first Mother’s Day without my mom and I have to admit this week has been a tough one. It seems like everything around me is talking about Mother’s Day. I had to have hard conversations with people who did not know she has passed this week.  Many times over the past two months I wanted to call her just to chat.

It was in these times of chatting, she would make me better. Proverbs 27:17 CEB reminds us, ” As iron sharpens iron, so friends sharpen each other’s faces.” This verse is pretty true to who my mother was. My mom not only made me better but all 6 of us are better people because she  was a loving and caring person. She sharpened and shaped us. 

I won’t be in the pulpit on Sunday, I can’t. I need to take care of myself and spend time with my wife and family this Sunday. I have been strong enough for a while now. I must rest. This week bent me up pretty good. I will be ok. Some R & R will be good for me.

I want to wish all the women in my life a happy Mother’s day. I hope you have a day filled with peace. One of the greatest gifts I have every given my mother was speaking to her life.  I leave you with the Sermon I wrote for her.