| Ruth 1:16 – “But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” |
Mothers take different paths. Some have son(s) and daughter(s). Some have only son(s). Some only daughter(s). Not of their choosing. My mother is a boy mom. My wife is a boy mom. So, I have listened and observed a lot about what it is like to be one of those.
I have known several, five daughter mothers. I have seen daughters and their mothers, many times to be very close, even to the point of living in close proximity. I have 3 sons, and we are fortunate to have them all living nearby at this particular time. There was a time when I ventured far away from my parents, to California, when I was a single man. I came back to live near them after a few years. My mother lives in Fort Worth. I live an hour away right now. I try to visit her every other Saturday or so.
There is a situation that continues to amaze me. I am thinking of a boy mom. Two sons. Her husband died, and within a few years, her two sons died. She was alone, save for her sons’ wives. One of them left her family to stay with her. Yes, Naomi and Ruth. The unusual part is it was not Naomi’s daughter who stayed close to her. It was her son’s wife. Not normal. Ruth did a very compassionate thing, a very loving thing, and ended up in the lineage of Jesus.
I would encourage any son or daughter to spend time with your mother, especially on a special day like yesterday. It is the “other mother” that is the puzzle. We all need to be loved. The wonderful thing about love? It is a renewable resource. Like the song says, “Love is something if you give it away, you’ll end up having more.” It is not exhaustible. I am thankful God has not reached the end of His love for us. Father in heaven, thank You for loving us, and for our children, and their love, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
– Jeff Beall
