Sunday is Mother’s Day — recognized in the United States as a national day to honor mothers. The idea was birthed by the writer of “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Julia Ward Howe, in 1872. She had returned to Boston from Europe on a crusade for world peace and called for June 2 to be set aside as “Mothers’ Peace Day.”

Actually, the original Mother’s Day was in Britain in the 19th century and called Mothering Sunday — celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent. But the first Mother’s Day was celebrated in the United States in 1908 when Congess passed a resolution that the second Sunday in May be recognized as Mother’s Day. It was authorized Mother’s Day as a national holiday in 1915.

When in Thailand, I was blessed to celebrate Mother’s Day in October, which is celebrated on the Queen’s birthday. The Mother’s Day program was part of the morning worship service where the orphanage children attended. It was a memorable experience.

All the mothers were seated in front and the children, young and old, knelt in front of them, placing flowers in each mother’s laps. The children from the orphanage tearfully gave their flowers to their house mothers. The mothers prayed for each of her children, then the children offered a blessing upon each mother. It was such an impressive ceremony.

And I thought of the awesome plan of God as He ordained the family from the beginning and set mothers and fathers in place. Eve was the first — her name meaning the “Mother of All Living.”

Throughout the Scriptures, we have such beautiful examples of mothers — Hannah, Mary, Elizabeth, Rebekah, Sarah, Rachel and even a mother-in-law to Ruth, Naomi.

And one of the most honored things assigned for a mother to do is teach the younger women “to love” — husbands, children.

Chapter 31 of Proverbs gives us a comprehensive list of compliments for women, including “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her ... strength and honor are her clothing ... in her tongue is the law of kindness” ... and, verse 28 sums it up: “Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”

A person would have to admit. God really loves mothers and he gives them wisdom and understanding so they can fulfill their roles in His kingdom. “... a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”

“They talk about a woman’s sphere

As though it had a limit;

There’s not a lace in earth or Heaven,

Tere’s not a task to mankind given,

There’s not a blessing or a woe,

There’s not a whispered yes or no,

There’s not a life, or death, or birth,

That has a feather’s weight of worth—

Without a woman in it.”

—Leaves of Gold