My wife is a mom and a daughter, in that order, but for this week, the roles have reversed. Kelly is in Florida, wearing her “daughter hat” and missing her own little ladies something fierce. Removing her “mom hat”—relinquishing her role of caring for her girls in order to care for her father after surgery—is incredibly difficult for her, not the caring part but the relinquishing part.
You see, my wife is a mom, put on this planet, it seems, for just that purpose. To share a few thoughts that remind me of her mama’s heart, here are a few quotes:
- “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” – C.S. Lewis
- “I didn’t lose myself when I became a mother. I discovered an even better version.” – Source unknown
- “The loveliest masterpiece is the love of God in the heart of a mother.” – Source unknown
- “Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise.” – Andy Stanley
The “mom” part of my wife, the part that wears the “mom hat,” gave up a great deal to leave town and go far away for an entire week. But the “daughter” part of her did the right thing and honored her dad.
Ephesians 6:1-3 says this: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
We typically view moms as responsible for the well-being of their children, but what happens when the roles are reversed? Moms are daughters, too, and God takes seriously how we honor (or dishonor) our parents. As just one example of this, in Mark chapter 7, Jesus delivered a stern rebuke of the Pharisees when He accused them of using their religion as an excuse for not taking care of their parents.
So far as it depends on us, we must fight to honor God in this area. Scripture is very clear that the way we treat our parents has significant ramifications, not only for our physical lives, but our spiritual ones as well. With this in mind, let me say this to my beautiful bride: Your girls miss you, Kelly, but they know you’re coming home soon. Your “mom hat” still fits and we can’t wait for you to put it back on. But we’re so proud of you for honoring your father and taking care of him and doing something that could be eternally significant. And thank you for the example you’re setting for your girls, because that’s what great moms do and someday your daughters will remove their own “mom hats” and take care of you.
Troy Burns