Thursday, May 18, 2017

The Upper Room Daily Devotional in Nashville, Tennessee,  United States "A Mother’s Gift" for Thursday, 18 May 2017 -  Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

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The Upper Room Daily Devotional in Nashville, Tennessee,  United States "A Mother’s Gift" for Thursday, 18 May 2017 -  Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is a season,
a right time for every intention under heaven —
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to discard,
7 a time to tear and a time to sew,
a time to keep silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

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There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die.[Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (NIV)]
My mother died on Mother’s Day — the day she and I usually celebrated by remembering when she gave birth to me and heard my first breath. But on that Mother’s Day I was telling my mother how much I loved her as she drew her last breath. I kept thinking about all the priceless lessons she taught me, such as the importance of studying the Bible.
In another time of loss, after my husband died, grief overwhelmed me. I fell into major depression. I had to give up my career, and I contemplated suicide because I could see no end to my deepening depression. Slowly, with the right medication and a good therapist, I began to work toward better health — spiritual, physical, and emotional. As I recovered, another of my mother’s lessons helped me: The road of life may be difficult and seem impassible, but God will be with me all throughout my life’s journey — even when I do not feel God near me.
Each Mother’s Day I now celebrate the memory of my mother and thank God for her legacy of unwavering faith and for the lessons she taught me by the example of her daily life and walk with God.
The Author: Alice M. Nathan (Missouri, USA)
Thought for the Day:
I can find God’s presence in my life every day.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the lessons we have learned from those whose faith is unwavering. Amen.
Prayer focus:
Someone grieving the loss of a mother.

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