Honor Your Father and Mother

As a child I thought that the commandment "Honor your father and mother." really meant "Obey your father and mother." (And remember to make/give them a gift or card on Father's Day and Mother's Day!) If you did those two things...you had it covered.
Growing older, I see this commandment in a whole different light. It is more than obeying or paying tribute to. It's about respecting your parents. (Which doesn't mean that you have to agree with them...but allow them to have and express their own opinions.) There were many years where I found it hard to accept that my parents had the right to express their thoughts and feelings. (They were my pre-teen and early teenage years.) My parents were pretty liberal. Okay...they were very liberal...and I was not. They held "sensitivity group sessions" in our home every Sunday evening. People came over, sat around and drank pots and pots of coffee and discussed their personal problems and the community's problems. "Games People Play" was a popular book at that time...and the lingo from the book was used constantly. It was a bit much for me...at the time. Looking back...I see that those groups served a purpose...they fulfilled a need. They provided a support system for that group of people...and a safe outlet for their frustrations. No one was judged there. I see those Sunday night group sessions in a whole new light now. Kudos to dad and mom for opening their home every week...even when they were worn out themselves.
Honoring our parents also means that we should respect their wishes...even when they are not able to express them any longer. For instance...I know mom wanted to live here in her home until she was "carried out feet first." I am doing my best to make that happen.
On many occasions, I have commented on what a blessing it has been for me to be able to stay home and take care of mom during her last moments here on earth. I consider it an honor to be able to care for her, as she has cared for me and my family in the past. I know many children who would like to do the same for their parents...but are not able to. Even though it's hard sometimes and frustrating at other times...I am so thankful to be here tending to her needs.
The other day I was having lunch with a prayer group from the Oromo congregation that meets in our church. They hold a prayer service every Saturday and each month while I am at the Children's Clothes Closet I hear them praying in the next room. Both of our activities end at the same time and each month they invite me to join them for lunch. I always decline because I need to get home and relieve our respite caregiver. That particular day, my brother was with mom...so I had a little extra time to spare. As we ate, most of the group talked among themselves in Oromo. I had no idea what they were talking about. The young girl next to me thanked me for joining them. I explained why I was finally able to do that...and she asked me, "How can you stay home and take care of your mother? In Ethiopia, it is a given that families take care of their parents in their homes, but I thought that most Americans did not do that." I told her how I was already living with mom and that we have a great relationship. I also told her that I had married recently and my husband agreed to support me in this endeavor. He works hard, plus we don't have a mortgage payment, car payments or any huge loans to pay off. I closed with my usual..."It's been a blessing...truly an honor for me to be able to do this." The girl replied, "You are obeying God's commandment, 'Honor your father and mother'." I had never thought of that before. I found it very interesting.
By "honoring" my mother...I myself feel honored! Think about that for a moment. And about how many other ways God works out things like that in our lives.
By blessing others...we are truly blessed. Time and time again!