Mother's Day

And I pray that you, being rooted and established (“grounded” KJV) in love, may have power….to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love, that surpasses knowledge…. (Ephesians 3: 17-19). I just enjoyed the best Mother’s Day I can remember. There simply is no sweeter gift than spending the day with family, savoring good conversation, lots of laughter and the adoring attention of beautiful grandchildren. Truly, my cup is running over! The highlight of my day revolved around the planting of a tree. When my daughter, Lisa, was asked what she wanted for Mother’s Day, she said she wanted a dogwood tree for the backyard. My son-in-law delivered a sizable young tree while we were all together this afternoon. Each of the men took a turn to help dig the hole for the root ball, while Lisa mixed the overturned dirt with soil conditioner. Carefully, the tree was positioned in the hole, and the enriched soil was mounded around the root and pressed gently down around it. As we were all standing around admiring the new tree, my daughter suggested we offer a prayer of thanksgiving. Spontaneously, we held hands while she offered a simple prayer of thanks. She thanked God for the tree, for the special day, for all of us being together, and especially for the gift of family. It was a spontaneous moment, but it touched us all and moved some of us to tears. Reflecting on the day as we drove home this evening, I thought about that tree and the life-lessons that are so deeply interwoven into all of creation. A family is very much like a tree. I think of my mother and father in law, who were with us today, as the root of our family. They have set the example as pillars of faith and have helped each of us to become “rooted and grounded” in the love of God. As our lives have become established in the fertile soil of our God, His love has begun to flow in and through each of us, and we have become the branches, always reaching further and higher. It is our relationship with Him that has united, strengthened and enriched our family beyond measure. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener” (John 15:1) I love the picture of God as a gardener….after all, He planted the most beautiful garden imaginable in the garden of Eden. And I don’t think it is insignificant that when Mary first saw Jesus after His resurrection, she mistook Him for the gardener (John 20:15). God is the Master Gardner, and I pray that, as a family, we will bear fruit to His glory…”I am the vine, you are the branches….this is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit…” (John 15:5-8). I am going to love watching that little dogwood tree as it grows….especially on Mother’s Day…