May 12: Of Remembrance and Transformation

1 Samuel 12:1-13:22

John 7:1-30

Psalm 108:1-13

Proverbs 15:4

Tomorrow is Mother's Day.  And on that day, often right at its beginning, children of all ages will remember what their mothers did, for them and for others.  They will reach out to their mothers, whether across the room or around the world, to thank them and to honor them.  Interesting point: in many, perhaps most instances, their mothers will not need their honor and their thanks; they will continue to be the women they have always been, their condition and circumstances unchanged by their five year old's crayon-drawn greeting card, or their 52 year old son's words on the telephone.  The biggest effect their children's words might have may well be to give them joy.

Not so for the children, because knowledge is transformative.  And so, merely remembering all their mother had done for them may well change them; the recollection may bring about a greater appreciation, perhaps a greater desire to give their mother that joy, to spend more time with her, to get to know her better.  It may lead those who had fallen away from their parents to reconnect with them, to reach out to their mother more frequently, to realize they still have much to learn.

If remembering all our mothers have done for us can be so transformative, how much more remembering all God has done?  In the OT reading today, we see the Israelites had fallen away, and had sinned in demanding a king other than God.  Samuel reminded them of what God had done, just in the time of the judges, and the knowledge was transformative.  The people repented, and reconnected with God.  

We are no different from the Israelites - when we forget what God has done, we seek out earthly "kings" for security.  And just as the Israelites wound up with King Saul - and so very quickly, just in today's reading, we see how flawed Saul was - we seek out King Money, or King Power, or King Acceptance.  Perhaps if we celebrated Heavenly Father's Day, and celebrated it everyday, we would remember all God has done for us, and be transformed by that realization as well.

Father, thank you for the mothers You chose to give us, just one item in the endless list of things You've done for us.  Give us the desire to start each day reminding ourselves of Your blessings, that we might reject the idea of earthly security, knowing You are more than enough.