Things Mama Said

I'm a mom and, well, you know what that means. It means I say "mom stuff.: For example, I'm fifty and my mom is still here with me. Today it's wet and rainy and windy and just plain yucky outside and while I was getting ready for work she called to ask me a question and to chat a bit. True to her "mommyness," she asked me if I had galoshes to put on as I go from building to building here at Keswick. After I got over the shock of hearing the reference to galoshes, I said, "huh? What?" This, of course, opened the door for her to repeat her question and add some further "mom stuff."

Ya gotta love it though. As a mom of a now 23-year-old son and 25-year-old daughter, I find that, in spite of their ages, I say all sorts of stuff to my kids that they now know as "mom stuff" - all the stuff I get to say just cuz I'm a mom and it needed to be said...well sorta. And then there are the times I say certain things just so I can sleep better at night.

If you're a mom and/or if you had a mom, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Here are a few examples of the sort of the things that I would classify as mom stuff:
* Don't take any wooden nickels. (a favorite of my Mom's.)
* Be sure and drive the speed limit or drive safely.
* Make sure you wear your seat belt.
* Be wise.
* Be careful not to trip.
* Make sure you wash your hands before you come to the table.
* Call me when you get there, just so I know you're okay.
* Make sure you drink plenty of water and take your vitamins.
* Clean up after yourself!
* Did you flush?
* Be careful crossing the street.
* Make sure you hold on tightly to your purse.
* Make sure you don't share anyone's comb or brush or lip balm.
* Don't go out with a wet head, you'll catch cold.
* Don't sit too close to the television, it'll ruin your eyes.
* Eat your vegetables, they're good for you.

I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point.

What I find so amazing and fascinating is our Heavenly Father, the Sovereign God of the universe, does the same thing with us. For no other reason than the fact that He loves us and has a plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11), He faithfully and consistently tells us stuff, and some of it He repeats to us over and over again.

The first that comes to mind are the commandments and statues of God. Most of us know the basic ten - 'You shall have no other gods before Me. 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.' 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.' 'Honor your father and your mother.' 'You shall not murder.' 'You shall not commit adultery.' 'You shall not steal.' 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'1

On of the things my mother taught us growing up was something from Scripture but I always knew it as "the golden rule." Tomorrow, we'll look at that and then turn our attention to words that the Father repeatedly says to us.

Stephanie

DIGGING DEEPER
Psalm 37:5-6
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.


1 Exodus 20 www.biblegateway.com