Soft Petals & Sticky Thorns: 5/12-13/2012

Shopping for a Mother’s Day card this year, I couldn’t stop thinking about what a perfect picture the cards all painted.  The cards were all meant for moms who had done everything right and were presumably coming from kids who had nothing but complete adoration bordering on worship for their mothers.  I couldn’t help but wish that there were some cards that reflected a truth closer to the one we talked about this weekend—how love, and parenting especially, is a lot more complicated (and beautiful) than that. 

How moms can be sacrificial and flawed all at the same time.  How kids can be rebellious and grateful all at the same time.  How real family often means negotiating our imperfections along with recognizing our strengths.  Sometimes this takes entire lifetimes to work out.  Sometimes it’s not clear until someone is gone. 

It may be useful for you this week to follow Charlie’s lead and write out some real "Thank You’s" this week.  Not the kind they put on cards. What are you grateful for?  What did you realize long after the fact?  What did they teach you by example?  What did they teach you in their brokenness? 

To read more about how Timothy’s faith sustained him in difficult times, read more of his mentor’s admonishments in 2 Timothy 2.

For those of you who struggle with Mother’s Day, take some comfort in these words this week.

For some great words on sacrifice, enjoy these from Ann Voskamp.

And, watch a great video about motherly love that’s been making its way around the interwebs.

Listen to the weekend message
Read a manuscript of the weekend message