After Jesus was betrayed and during His crucifixion, He demonstrated an amazing example of respect even while
going through a storm. He said in John 19:25-27, “Woman, here is your son,” and to [John], “Here is your mother.” From that time on, John took her into his home. This was Jesus' way of caring for His mother after He was be
gone.
There have been many people that have helped each of us overcome something bad or to achieve something
great. Paul said in Galatians 6:6, “The one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their
instructor.”
Frequently, Paul ends his epistles, “instructions in the word,” by acknowledging those who have been a blessing
to him by their contribution to his work in some way. Romans 16 is one of the longest lists of those he wanted
to thank. Paul gave his greetings to Rufus, who he says is “chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a
mother to me, too.” (16:13)
It’s easy to thank our mothers, because they typically are the ones that nurture us, cheer us on, console us, encourage us. Their contribution to our success may be behind the scenes at times, but it’s such a beautiful thing to
be able to honor them for what they’ve done for us.
It may be tempting to skip over the acknowledgments in a book, or to ignore the “thank you's” to people we
don’t know in a graduation or an acceptance speech, but each of those names represents someone who made a contribution to getting someone to the point of being recognized as a hero, a survivor, or a success.
As Paul concludes his letter to the Colossians, he takes the time to thank those who made a difference to him. No
matter how his letters started, it was part of his discourse to take the time to recognize those who helped him, those
who he misses, and the great examples among those he’s writing to. Be sure to take the time to thank, or at least
acknowledge those who have made a difference to you—especially your mother!
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