Mother's Day

Hey guys,
I have almost allowed Mother's Day to slip by without a post about my mother. In reality, I wasn't really sure what to share. I mean, I believe that my mom is a blessing and I am so thankful that the Lord put her as my mom. I really am who I am because of my mom and my dad. They both have taught me so much about life, love and the Lord. With all that said, I still wasn't sure what I needed to share. And then it hit me...
I was at work on Friday when I was walking with a women from one building to another. I was chatting with her and mentioned something about my mom. Tears welled up in her eyes and she said, "mother's day is so hard for me. My mother has passed away and I never had children." At first, I wasn't sure how to respond. I think I fumbled around and said something about God's purposes and our worth in Him. But the point is that I realized that even during a time that I celebrate, mother's day, there are people still hurting. This was a reality check for me.
I was then reminded of the verse in James about widows and orphans. I have stated many times that those are the people that I feel called to, the widows, the orphans and the least of these. In reality though, what am I doing to make a difference in their lives? What can I do to serve the lady that I met on Friday that almost cried because of her lack of family?
The answer isn't easy. The answer looks different for each individual person that I come in contact with. The answer isn't easy for you and it will look different for you then it may for me. The simple fact is that the strongest tool you and I have is prayer. Actually, that is where I believe that we need to start before any "act" of service. Allowing God to go before us by praying, allows us to know when and where we need to be, so that we may be in accordance with His will for our day. Does that make sense?
So, in closing, I am so thankful for my mom and all she means to me. On this mother's day, I have been marked with a compassion for those that are not able to celebrate with me. I am marked by the love of my God for each one of those. I am marked to pray with zeal for those that are the least of these. Just consider this:
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." -James 1:27
Be blessed, until next time...