Sermon Tone Analysis
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"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer."
Page #
"It Helps If You Laugh"
(John 15:9-17)
*INTRODUCTION:*
Here it is, "Mother's Day," a day to celebrate the women who raised us and the women who are raising our children.
On this Mother's Day I want to make a confession: "/I HAD THE MEANEST MOTHER IN THE WHOLE WORLD"/ That's right.
I had the meanest Mother in the world.
While all the other kids ate candy or cookies for breakfast, I had to eat healthy stuff like cereal, eggs or pancakes.
When they got cokes and chips for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich.
And to top it off, I had to eat supper with the family.
My Mother insisted on knowing where I was at ALL times.
She had to know who my friends were.
I had to be home on time, which was always earlier than anybody else.
She made me wear clean clothes and take a bath (even when I didn't need one.)
She was always telling me to make sure I had on clean underwear.
She didn't want to be embarrassed by my dirty underwear if I got hit by a car.
Not only that but my Mom broke the child labor laws.
She made me make my bed every day, and keep my room clean.
I had to wash or dry the dishes.
I had to mow the lawn and take out the trash.
I had to learn how to vacuum and dust.
I think there's still a warrant out on my Mom from the Environmental protection Agency.
If there isn't there should have been because my Mom made me clean up the toxic waste in our family bathroom.
I really think she laid awake at night thinking of things to make my life miserable.
And when I became a teenager, it got worse, she went from mean to cruel.
First I had to learn to cook and help take care of my two bratty brothers.
She made me tell the truth even if it killed me --- and sometimes it nearly did, especially when my Dad found out.
My friends couldn't honk their horns for me, Mom always wanted to meet them and made them come in the house.
She wouldn't let me sleep all day on Saturdays like everybody else.
NO! Mom made me get up and help around the house or go and help my Dad out at the farm.
The real cruelty came when I turned 16. Mom forced me to get a job.
I had to go to work because Mom made me pay for my own car, the auto insurance, the gas, and everything.
On top of that, I still had a curfew.
So you see, my mother was a failure.
She was mean and cruel and she's the only one I can blame for the way I turned out.
If she hadn't been so mean, I might have turned out different.
Every time I hear some child, or my own, call their Mother mean, I thank God for having the meanest Mother in the world.
And so, in honor of the meanest Mother in the world, I dedicate the rest of this sermon to all Mothers, but especially to my Mother and to Mary, the mother of my children.
In an old Hagar the Horrible cartoon, Hagar's wife Helga is seen cleaning the floor with a mop and bucket.
She says to herself, /"The house DOES look nice and shiny."/
As she digs up some flowers, she says, /"Flowers for the table might be nice."
/As she's setting the table, Hagar asks, /"When does the party begin?"/
Helga answers, /"In a few minutes dear."/
Her daughter comes running in and says, /"Mama, my party dress is all wrinkled."
/ And Helga says, /"I'll iron it."
/ As she's taking a roast out of the oven, her son asks, /"Mom, can you tie this package for me?"/
While she's tying the package Hagar asks if his friend "Lucky Eddie" can stay for dinner.
She smiles and says, /"Yes!" / Then she gets busy decorating a cake.
In the last scene, everybody is gathered around the table.
Hagar and the children shout, /"Surprise!"/ Lucky Eddie leans over and asks Hagar, /"What's the celebration for?" /And Hagar says, /"Why, it's Mother's Day."/
Have you ever noticed how typical that is? Mom working on her special day?
Mom taking care of everybody else first; sometimes even doing without.
As important and independent as most of us men think we are; the truth is, the world couldn't get along without Mothers.
A fifteen year old boy came bounding into the house one afternoon and found his mother upstairs in bed.
He asked if she was sick or something.
He was truly concerned.
Mom replied that as a matter of fact, she didn't feel well at all.
The boy replied, /"Well, don't worry about dinner.
I'll be happy to carry you down to the stove."/
See what I mean.
Mothers are indispensable.
Sure, kids brighten the home, but that's because they never turn off the lights.
The truth is, we couldn't live without Mothers.
And most of the time we take them for granted.
Our passage from John, while not directly related to Mothers or parenting, is a model of the kind of love needed to be a good parent, a good mother.
It takes lots of love.
But that love has to be coupled with the ability to laugh.
Scientists have been studying the effects of laughter and have found that it has a profound and instantaneous effect on virtually every organ in the body.
Laughter reduces health-sapping tension and stress.
It relaxes the tissues as well as exercises most of the vital organs.
Even a forced laugh, results in beneficial mental and physical effects.
One thing mothers and parents need is a healthy sense of humor.
We need it because there are going to be days when the only thing you CAN do is either cry or laugh.
And depend upon God to get you through.
And laughter is so much better and more healing than tears.
I believe this is one of the things that distinguishes Christian mothers from others.
I also believe that Christian mothers have an extra dose of what it takes to make Mother's indispensable and loving.
Besides the ability to laugh I think Christian mothers have three other traits.
*I.
BELIEVE IN THEIR KIDS:*
* A.
*First, Christian mothers believe in their kids.
A teacher asked her class what they wanted to be when they grew up.
She got all the usual answers, /"President, Fireman, Doctor, Teacher, etc."/ until she got to Tommy.
/"Tommy, what do you want to be when you grow up?" /
/ "Possible!"/ Tommy replied.
The teacher asked, /"Possible?
What do you mean, possible?" /Tommy explained, /"Well, my mother's always saying, 'Tommy, you're impossible.'
So, when I grow up, I want to become possible."
/
Even though their kids are impossible at times, Christian mothers always believe in their kids.
They may not always believe them, but they always believe in them.
And that's important for our children's sense of self-worth and for their future.
*B.
*Benjamin West tells how he actually became a successful painter.
When he was young, his mother went out and left him in charge of his sister Sally.
Benjamin discovered some bottles of colored ink and began to do Sally's portrait.
When Mom got home there was a horrible mess but she didn't say anything about it.
She simply picked up the paper with the portrait and said, /"Why, it's Sally!"/ and then she kissed Benjamin.
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