Though we are many miles away and see no signs of it here, we are aware that today is Mother’s Day, so we want to take time to wish all of you mothers a Happy Mother’s Day, especially to our mothers, Gloria Broten and Mary Hovey.  We pray that this day is encouraging and that the Lord continues to be your source of strength in the wonderful joy and great responsibility of being a mother.

I shared this a few years ago, but I have always struggled with the numerous days we have created in America to celebrate and pass gifts around our little circle of acquaintances.  They have always felt so “man-centered”, puffing one another up with praises and accolades about “What a great ________ (fill in the blank) you are”.  They constantly left me longing to hear of God’s faithfulness and His strength, and His wisdom in “that person’s” life.  But, imagine my surprise a number of years ago, when I was reading through the “SuperWoman passage” of Proverbs 31 and I read this:

28 Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her, saying: 29 “Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.”  30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.  31 Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. (Proverbs 31:28-31)

“What?  Praise a mother and wife.  What about praising God?”  And what’s this “in the gates” stuff?  That’s a pretty public place and doesn’t seem to line up with all of Jesus’ prodding to “do it in secret because your Heavenly Father sees what is done in secret”.

Yet, I couldn’t deny what the Scriptures said.  Maybe it was difficult for me to understand because I never made the simple connection that extolling a piece of art actually brought ultimate glory to the artist.  Or that marveling at the vastness of the sea or the majesty of a mountain is not ultimately praising them, but their maker.  Likewise, when we observe in our mothers, the godly qualities described in Proverbs 31, we ought to praise them for these products of their hands, as ultimately we are recognizing the work of God in their lives.

So, I pause to tell you today how thankful I am to God for my mother, Gloria Broten.  Every time I think of her, I smile.  She is every bit of a Proverbs 31 woman as I could imagine.  So much so, that I’m not ashamed to admit that what drew me to my wonderful wife are many of the same qualities that I have admired in my mother for my entire life.

Mom, I can’t reach you on the phone, and I’m not sure where the city gates are in today’s world, but this blog seems like a good public place to declare, “I am so proud to say that I am your son.”

Happy Mother’s Day! (click on the link for your song)