MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS EVERY DAY

From Susan Hillis:

For those who are moms now, know moms, or ever will be moms, I have an idea:  Let's live like it's Mother's Day every day. Seriously!  Let's recall the gifts the Lord Himself has placed inside us - that we are perfume, mirrors, and treasures, and that these gifts are the kind that keep on giving.  These gifts are the kind of gifts we are and have and receive daily.  

Perfume,  Mirrors, Treasures! 

So it is pretty easy to remember where to find these gifts, just by remembering the numbers 2, 3, 4!  The verses from II Corinthians that remind us of these gifts are at the end of chapters 2, 3, and 4.  I myself am planning to paste them on my bathroom mirror, to see them every day!  So, here goes, the truth about these daily Mother's Day Gifts...and my prayer that goes with them in the mornings....

Perfume: 

"Thanks be to God, who ALWAYS (every day!) ... spreads through us the sweet perfume of the knowledge of Him in everywhere." (2:14)

Lord, thank you that You say I am the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of You today in every place.  Lord, make me this for my family and for the people I work with and for anyone else I will relate to today.

Mirror: 

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." (3:17)

Lord, it is amazing I am beginning to see Your presence in me more than the wrinkles or hair that is not quite right.  Thank you that You are changing me on the inside every day to be more and more like You.  Do it today, Lord!

Treasure: 

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." (4:7)

As I put on this jewelry, thank You for the reminder that You are doing something invisibly wonderful through my struggles and afflictions.

Trusting that the person I am created to be gives joy and hope and meaning and love and faith in an enduring way to those I love most!  I have found that this is most likely to occur for me when I am having my own 'love tank' filled in a meaningful way by the love and presence of God.   It helps me to start most days by spending time with the Lord and by meditating on these verses when I am getting dressed.

God shows me it's true!

And the Lord uses those sweet gifts of words and symbols to remind us that indeed, we are perfume, mirrors, and treasures, on Mother's day in our honor.  I felt so very loved and appreciated yesterday by the album my sweet kids put together for me, writing letters of thanks to me for being their mama.  Of course I was crying as I read them - tears of JOY!  I go back later and reread them, and can only think that in spite of many struggles our family has seen, I am most impressed with this:  "My God, I stand in awe of You; oh, God, I stand in awe of You; To Him to Whom all praise is due, I stand in awe of You." 

He has made so many testimonies from our tests, so many messages from our mess!  

It IS Mother's Day every day!  And we will place our eyes on the invisible God to become more and more visible in our daily lives as we live, love, and serve.