This week we are talking about Moms. This is true for moms and dads, or foster parents, or grandparents who take care of you. But we are going to talk a lot about moms today because it is Mother’s day.
Let’s assume you have a peanut butter & jelly sandwich almost every day for lunch. You probably don’t think much about it and take for granted that you have this nutritious meal because it happens every day. You forget that having this sandwich means that someone earned the money to get the ingredients, someone brought those ingredients into your house & someone made those ingredients into a sandwich, put in a lunchbox and put in your book bag. It’s often Mom that makes that happen. This example could be talking about breakfast or dinner. It just one example of the many little ways that parents show that they love you by making sure that you have food to eat, clothes to wear, fun to have and safe. But we often don’t stop to appreciate it. All of these are ways mom say I love you. We need to remember to say thank you and say I love you back. Who said I love you to your mom this morning? Make sure you say it many more times.
Moms do so much for us, we simply don’t have time to list it all. They teach us how to sit up, roll over, stand up, walk, talk, feed ourselves, and dress ourselves. They teach us to use manners and share with others. They provide us with food and clothing and medicine and toys, and sometimes most important of all - those reassuring hugs when we need it. Moms also help teach us to be good people and love God. If you’re here this morning, it means you have parents think making time to come to church is important. Below is a story about a mom and her daughter-in-law from the bible.
Story: Ruth and Naomi
DLTK's Bible Stories for Children (http://www.dltk-bible.com/cv/ruth_and_naomi.htm)
by Sharla Guenther
In a place called Moab there lived a nice family. Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their two sons moved there because there was more food there than where they used to live. After a while Elimelech died but Naomi wasn't alone she still had two sons. Her sons got married but after about ten years they died too. At least Naomi still had her sons wives to keep her company, their names were Orpah and Ruth.
Naomi called her sons wives and told them, "I am going to go back to where I used to live and I would like you also to go back to your family where you used to live. May God show you kindness as you have showed me." All the women cried and hugged each other because they were such good friends.
Orpah didn't want to leave Naomi but Naomi told her not to worry, she would be fine. So Orpah left to go back to her family. But no matter what Naomi said to Ruth, Ruth would not leave. "Don't ask me to leave. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your friends will be my friends and your God will be my God."
So Ruth and Naomi returned to Bethlehem together. It was a good thing Ruth went with Naomi because Bethlehem was very far away and Naomi couldn't have traveled all that way by herself. Notice that Ruth never complains but is a good friend to Naomi. She wasn't expecting anything in return, she just wanted to help.
When they got there Ruth decided that she should do some kind of work. It was harvest time, so she worked in the fields following behind the harvesters and picked up any barley that they had dropped.
The owner of the field came by to greet the harvesters and noticed Ruth in the field. He asked one of the harvesters who she was. "She came back from Moab with Naomi, that's all I know." Lucky for Ruth the owner of the field was Boaz, he was a kind man who believed in God. He had also been related to Elimelech (Naomi's husband that died).
Boaz went to go talk to Ruth, he said to her, "Don't go work in any other field but stay here with the other servant girls. I will make sure you are safe and whenever you are thirsty go and get a drink from the water jars." When Ruth heard this she bowed down to Boaz and asked, "Why are you being so nice to me, I'm not even from here."
Boaz replied, "I know what you've done for Naomi, you left your family and moved to a place you've never been. May the Lord reward you for your kindness." Ruth thanked Boaz and continued with her work in the hot sun. Boaz even ordered his workers to drop extra barley so Ruth could have more for herself.
Ruth took all the barley home and shared what she had with Naomi. And eventually Ruth married Boaz and everyone was very happy!