MOTHER'S DAY REMINDER

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers.  Yes, you are precious in God's eyes, Mothers.  Your husband and child(ren) call you "blessed."

When I think about Mother's Day ... how we honor and celebrate our mother ... how I too will one day become a mother, I always think of my mother in-law Mamih Santi.  How she has inspired me on how to become a godly woman, wife, mother, sister, friend, and daughter.  Every time I shared my admiration about her and how she is a Proverbs 31 role model God gave in my life, Mamih Santi always replied, "That is too much of a praise, Darling!  God is my inspiration."  Oh how I love her.

Talking about being a godly woman ... earlier at Church, I was involved in a little hiccup.  As I was congratulating mothers that I saw on my way out of the Chapel, I ran into one person who said stuff that I found very unpleasant.  At the end of the conversation, I told her that, "I don't think you deserve to say those stuff to me.  And I don't think I deserve to be treated like that by you."

I was deeply hurt.  As I was trying to calm myself down, I was reminded of Proverbs 31 and how Mamih Santi would react differently to the situation.  The verses from Proverbs 31 that really stood out to me were these .. especially verse 23:

11a The heart of her husband safely trusts her.

12  She does him good and not evil

All the days of her life.

23 Her husband is known in the gates,

When he sits among the elders of the land.

26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,

And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;

Her husband, also, and he praises her.

30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

I may have disapproved her way of talking to and treating me.  I may have responded to her without grace.  Even though I was hurt, I should not let my human nature judge her or even put my view of her on her husband and children.  I asked Marcel to pray for me as we hopped into the car.  During the prayer, God silently reminded me of two things:

1) There are these difficult people that I have to deal with whether at work or even at Church.  But remember, that these difficult people are God's grindstones in my life.  Thank God for them because through them, God is trying to take away the rough edges off my character so that I can look more like Jesus.

2) According to Proverbs 31, a husband is honored and respected by others because of his wife.  A wife can bring a disgrace or honor to her husband.  Whether or not you are married with or without child, once you are married, society sees you and your husband as "one."  So as a wife, it is my godly calling to treat, talk to, respond, and give respect to others in kindness whether or not they deserve it or I feel like it.  I cannot control what others think of me and Marcel.  People will think of us based on the knowledge or experience they know of us.  This is just like how I negatively responded and judged her entire family based on what she had done to me (ok, this is hitting my not-so-proud moment).  What I can control, though, is how I respond or treat others.  How I choose to live my affair will greatly impact Marcel.  It becomes our affair.  My actions and words should not be a stumbling block for others to respect Marcel.

So as I close this blog entry, let us encourage one another to grow into Christ likeness through prayer and fellowship.  If what God taught me today encourages or inspires you one way or the other, please let me know how I can be praying for or praising with you.

May this be a blessing!