Phil Keith, the former police chief of Knoxville, Tennessee, tells of receiving a call from his mother while he was in the middle of a televised press conference.
Keith knew his mother wouldn’t call him under those circumstances unless something was seriously wrong, so he excused himself from the press conference to answer the phone.
When his mother picked up the phone, she said, “Phil Keith, are you chewing gum?”
He said, “Um, yes, ma’am.”
She said, “Well, it looks awful. Spit it out.” So, Police Chief Phil Keith spit out his gum and returned to finish the press conference.
Isn’t it amazing the power mothers have over our lives? But if you ask most mothers, they’ll say their power is very limited. It’s not easy being a mom. But most of us have learned to appreciate the many sacrifices our moms have made in our behalf.
Jesus told his followers, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” Jesus’ words are the model for us all: mothers and fathers and grandmothers and grandfathers, as well as children and siblings and friends.
Because God loves us, we love one another. Because He forgives us, we forgive one another. At the center of the Gospel is the self-giving love of God, for Moms and for all of us!!
Thanks to Aleks Dorohovich for the photo.
What “power” did YOUR mother exercise over YOU? Was it done with love or for some other reason?
WHEN GOD SEES YOU DOING YOUR PART, DEVELOPING WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU, THEN GOD WILL DO HIS PART AND OPEN DOORS THAT NO ONE CAN SHUT!
