| Ephesians 6:2 – “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— |
Yesterday, Saturday, I went to visit my mother in Fort Worth. It is about an hour drive, so it is 2.5 – 3 hours round trip. I spent over 3 hours with her. We ate lunch together. Cowboy Chicken. I picked it up and noticed they are having an anniversary special on Tuesday, Aug 19. You can get a meal for $3.89, which reflects their 1981 prices. No commission here, just passing on a good deal. We ate together at her apartment in her senior community.
She asked me, after we ate, if I noticed anything new about her apartment. She was referring to her new bathroom scales which were provided by Home Health. She mentioned that she could not see well enough to read her weight. I decided they had done it so they could bill it to her insurance. Then I looked at the underside, and noticed they were talking scales. I found the volume switch, cranked it up, and checked the battery compartment. It contained 3 AAA batteries. So, I stepped on the scaled, and a female voice loudly announced “One hundred and seventy eight point 2 pounds”. My mother stepped on, holding on to furniture nearby. It announced hers. My thought: most women do not want their weight “proclaimed” over a speaker. But it works for her, as she can know what it says. Just shows how much we depend on our five senses.
If the eyes get weak, the ears, touch, taste and smell try to help out as they are able. They become heightened in a way, painfully aware of their members (eyes) that are in need. Our apostle Paul likens Christ’s church to a physical body where all the parts chip in to get the work done.
Bill Cosby (the comedian) has a famous routine “Conflict” discussing this. He mentioned the egotistical brain. “The mind says to the hand, Don’t turn that light on. I know my way around this house. Meanwhile, the toes are saying, Hey, turn the light on”. My mother depends more on my 3 brothers and I these days. We have grown from dependent toddlers to independent men, to men caring for our mother as our semi-dependent.
I love to watch the Waltons. 3 generations under one roof. Our grandmother Hazel lived with us for several years when I was in college. She, two of my brothers and I worked together at the University Book Exchange on the OU campus in Norman. She fixed biscuits from scratch, (and I mean flour) many mornings. She cooked so well, and I loved it. I cleaned up the kitchen for her or assisted her many nights in repayment for the good cooking. She really encouraged me a lot as a mentor. I can still hear her saying “You can do it”! I want to be helpful to my mother at this time in her life. Someday, I imagine I will need the same assistance.
Father in heaven, help me to honor my father and mother, in Jesus’ name, Amen
