I’m sure you all have memories of your Mother.  Some Mothers are still living.  Wonderful!  Some of you are Mothers.  Great!  Some of your Mothers are no longer living, but they live in your hearts.  I miss my Mom but I’m happy for the times that I had with her.

My Mother was fond of phrases.  I’m not sure why but she liked them:  

• “A watched pot never boils.”
• “Haste makes waste.”
• “We grow too soon old and too late smart.”

It’s funny. Now I can’t really remember any particular phrase that my Mother really liked.  It’s just when a situation comes up, I think about what Mom would say!  Then I think, oh my! I’m turning into my Mom.  But that’s ok.

My Mom read somewhere that the best gifts that you can give your children are Roots and Wings.  That makes one pause and think about it.  

Roots.  We have our family, our parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, Aunts, Uncles and cousins.  All of that makes up your roots and who we are today.  Mom and Dad gave me roots.  

Roots are also from God.  God makes us the way we are.  So we can have two families.  We have our brothers and sisters who are fellow Christians, and we are family.

All of that makes us a part of our Roots and who we are today.  

Wings.  The other thing that our parents give us are Wings.  My Mother probably thought that her little bird, her chickadee, would stay at home.  That was okay with her.  After I graduated from college, I lived with my parents and worked near home for about four years.  

Then the day came when I got a job offer that was 250 miles away from home.  I really couldn’t commute!  So it meant leaving home.  Although it was hard to leave home, my parents didn’t say that I couldn’t take the new job.  So I did move.  I think at first my Mom would have liked me to come home every weekend, but that wasn’t too practical.  So my parents  gave me wings to move on and live my life, whatever changes it would bring.  

That’s something I’m thankful for my parents giving me, Roots and Wings.  Although my Mom and Dad helped to give me roots and wings, when we believe in Jesus, we are rooted in Him and given wings that soar.  Our earthly family is a shadow of what’s possible in God’s family.  

Isaiah 40:31 “But those who wait for the LORD’s help find renewed strength; they rise up as if they had eagles’ wings, they run without growing weary, they walk without getting tired.”  (NET)