It was with the best of intentions that this teenager stopped by the local florist to get some flowers for my mother for Mothers’ Day. It was the Saturday prior, and they were quite busy (imagine that!), so I placed an order and gave them my phone number, but also promised I’d be back in the afternoon to pick up (and pay for) mom’s flowers. My older siblings were no longer living at home, so I felt very grown up in my actions.
The day got busy, and one thing led to another (mowing grass, playing ball…), and I totally spaced my obligation to pick up those flowers. It was sometime after dark, as I recall, that my mother rather coyly asked me, “Is there any reason the florist would call us?” Now this was prior to the day of caller ID, and answering machines were not common. The only way she could have known they called was to have answered the phone! Boy, was I ever ashamed I had forgotten to return to the florist!
Turns out that the florist called just prior to closing, and my mother drove over and picked up her “surprise” flowers, paying for them as well! Talk about feeling like I was destined for the doghouse!! Whatever memories you have of Mothers’ Day, this is among mine, and I cannot go back and change it, although I often wished I could. At the heart of the matter are two portions of God’s Word. First, from Romans 13 verse 7, where we read: “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, and honor to whom honor is owed.” (Honor: public esteem; a showing of respect.)
The second portion of God’s Word, one of God’s Ten Commandments, is this: ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ From Luther’s Small Catechism, which simply put is ‘Bible teaching in an orderly arrangement’ we have this: ‘What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.’
Age brings perspective, and as I age, it seems to work that way.
