Mother's Day is a dangerous day if you don't get it right! To make a mess of Mother's Day is as bad as flubbing an anniversary or a birthday. It's a big deal!
History tells us that Mother's Day was a dangerous day for Anna Jarvis too. In 1925 she was arrested for disturbing the peace as she protested the selling of carnations at a candy makers convention in Philadelphia. Who was Anna Jarvis and why was she so upset that carnations were being sold in Philadelphia? She was the catalyst behind the movement to establish Mother’s Day as a national holiday. In 1909 she held a memorial service for her deceased mom in West Virginia and that is recognized as the first, modern day Mother’s Day celebration. She began a campaign to have Mother's Day recognized as a holiday in the US in 1905 when her mother died. But it wasn't until 1914, after a good bit of discussion, that Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as a national holiday to honor mothers. By then, the carnation had become the flower of choice to give mother's on their day. However, to the dismay of Jarvis, by the early 1920’s Hallmark Cards and other companies began selling Mother’s Day cards and Ms. Jarvis became resentful of the commercialization of the holiday. She believed that the companies had misinterpreted and exploited the idea of Mother’s Day making it a day of profit rather than a day to honor moms. As a result she began to organize boycotts of Mother’s Day and threatened to issue lawsuits against companies involved. So in 1925 she drew a line in the sand and made her stand. I imagine her children sat around the lunch table after church on those 2nd Sundays in May, retelling the story of mama’s escapades and exploits—especially about the day she was arrested! Don't you know that that would have been a fun Mother’s Day luncheon to have attended! I wonder what she would think about the commercialization of Christmas?
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nI have a friend who is a gifted car artist. Like other artists, he has the unique ability to see what others cannot. In 1992 this wagon with 170 slant six engine and 3-speed manual transmission was not running, and worse, it was pink! Today, the 1963 Valiant 4-door sedan delivery wagon is one of those cars that causes heads to turns and people to ask questions. The humble artist always smiles and tells people the story.
Several years ago, the artist had the idea to create a brief pamphlet that he could hand out to people who asked about the cars he restored. The booklet would give them all of the pertinent information about the vehicle but more importantly, it would share with them the greatest story of restoration--the restoration of mankind's relationship with God through Jesus. Today, his idea became real and the booklet has been printed. On the last page, he unashamedly admits that though he "appreciates you asking about the car, the greatest work is what Christ has done in me." You do know that The Artist sees in you what no one else can see, right? God loves to take the ordinary and do the extraordinary! He loves to take the weak and make them strong. Perhaps one day you'll be driving on some back road in northwest Georgia or the highways between here and California and meet the artist who restored the sedan. You'll stop and ask him about his artwork, and he'll hand you the story of his car and of his life. That'd be pretty awesome. But I really hope that you will meet The Artist who created you and wants to restore your life. That would be even awesome-er! "Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 |
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