Another Mother’s Day has come and gone.  It was by far the hardest I have ever had.  I lost my mother three weeks ago and the pain is still very tender.  No more will I be able to pick up the phone and call her to say Happy Mother’s Day.  No more will I get to send her a pretty card with declarations of my love for her.  Never again will I get to send her something pretty to try to make her happy.  Some of you have experienced this loss and know this pain.  But many of you still have your Mother.  The Bible says in Exodus 20:12 “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”   Indeed, we find it in many verses in our Bible.  Honor thy father and thy mother.  I find no qualifiers in these verses to honor my mother if she is perfect. Nor any verses that say she must earn it. My mother was not perfect and perhaps yours isn’t either.  Nonetheless God gave us a directive to honor her.  Not just once per year, but daily. Maybe you are young, and you have not learned yet what an asset your mother really is to you, how much she really does know after all.  Maybe your mother is aged, and she has told you the same story every time you have talked to her for years.  Maybe she is lonely and clingy and seeking your attention, forgetting that you are busy, that you have to work and raise a family.  Maybe your relationship has become flipped and now you are her caregiver.  Perhaps you are estranged and unforgiveness stands between you.  In the end, that is your mother and you only get one.  Again, my mother was not perfect, but let’s face it, neither am I.  I know that she did much more for me than I will ever really know. And now, as a mother myself, I know how much she truly loved me.  There really is no equal in this life to a mother’s love.  And perfect or not, I loved her very much.  Would to God I could call her now and tell her.  So why not treat every day like Mother’s Day?  But who could afford that you say?  Guess what.  She doesn’t want things, she doesn’t care if you never buy her another flower or another card, or another gift and she doesn’t care if you never buy her dinner again.  She wants you.  Your time, your attention and your love.  It always blesses my heart to see children come to church with their mothers for Mother’s Day.  What a joy!  Can I tell you she’d love to have you with her every Sunday?  She would be thrilled for a random call just to say, “You know what Mama, I just had you on my mind, I don’t really have time to talk but I wanted you to know that I love you.” Or perhaps a call to just say “Thank you Mama for all you have done for me.”  There will come a day unless you precede her that you will not have those opportunities again.  It’s been almost a week since her “special” day.  Have you seen her since?  Have you spoken to her?   Proverbs 31: 28 says “Her children arise up and call her blessed.”  If you still have her, honor your Mama before that last Mother’s Day is gone.