Honoring our Parents...

I think we can all testify that we didn't have perfect parents. As I get older and further along as a parent myself I am beginning to see how difficult it is to parent. I am also beginning to cut my parents some slack for the things I thought they didn't do well as I grew up. Today my parents are both aging. My mom and dad are both in their 60's, mom has COPD (which is a respiratory heart condition that causes her lungs to fill with fluid making it difficult to breath, among other things), and my dad has had several strokes over the years. Mom presses through her condition and tries to continue her life although she doesn't feel like it many days. My dad can't see well, walk well, or do much of anything without help. All of this has happened over what seems like an incredibly short time. Time flies when we look at it in our rear view mirror.

Now my confession...I am incredibly busy doing ministry in the place God has put me to minister, Mercy's Cross Church. Weekly we see amazing life change, there is never a time where we are not busy. It is easy to put my mom and dad on the back burner as I do the work that is showing such promise and that I love. But God gave me my parents and expects me to care for them and my service as the Church is out of place if I try to replace my role in my parents lives with ministry to others. So today I am taking my mom to the dentist. I will serve my dad when we get back. It is not a challenge, or something difficult it is an opportunity to give back to a couple who gave to me. Being the church means being the church to my parents. I share this with you because it is easy to get our priorities out of whack, even when your the pastor of a kicking church (in two locations! lol) I thank God for the opportunity to care for my parents.

Jesus chimed in on this topic:
Matt 15:3-9
Jesus replied, "And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, 'Honor your father and mother,' and 'Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.' 5 But you say, 'You don't need to honor your parents by caring for their needs if you give the money to God instead.' 6 And so, by your own tradition, you nullify the direct commandment of God. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was prophesying about you when he said, 8'These people honor me with their lips,but their hearts are far away.
9 Their worship is a farce,for they replace God's commands with their own man-made teachings.'NLT