Mama Said Honor

No Lolly-gagging’

Ephesians 6:2-3 NLT

Exodus 20:12 MSG

Mama said came about in a very organic manner. I’ve lived with knowing what Mama says has gone on

for many decades for me. We’re talking seven decades.

Now please understand …I’ve been told Mama has been the very same way for nearly ten decades, but

I’ve only witnessed it for seven decades.

See…Mama is 97.

She’s not the kind of Mama you want to mess with. When she said “get up and get dressed for church,”

you got up and got dressed or there would be consequences. Lolly-gaggin’ was not allowed. Believe you

me, I have a special talent for lolly-gaggin’ and when Mama said not to lolly gag she meant it, especially on church day.

Plus, NOT only did Moses say “Honor your Father and Mother” Jesus said it, too. ““Honor your father and

mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go

well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

That meant I wouldn’t get in trouble if I did what Mama said. If I didn’t do what Mama said she would take

action. Mama was not a lolly-gagger!

I wasn’t sure, but I thought those consequences had to do with the long life part. Like, maybe God would

take action if I didn’t do what Mama said. I just knew that I needed to do what Mama  and Daddy said.

When I was little I thought my older brother must have liked to argue because he didn’t always think

about the consequences so much.

In Sunday School at my church we learned that even before Jesus said Honoring Father and Mother a

man named Moses said it in Exodus 20:12. He even talked about the consequences. In Exodus 20:12 he

said, “Honor your father and mother so that you’ll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving

you.” I was told that Moses lived a long time before Jesus lived, so he probably heard those word when

he was young (just like I heard them). I realized that God must have been really serious about the

honoring part…like listening to what my parents said. God was so serious about it that he said it at the

beginning of my Bible book and years and years later Jesus said it again.

As I grew older I came to realize that there were specific things Mama said over and over again. She

really wanted me to listen and understand.

I eventually got it.

When I had children I said many of the same things Mama said.

When I had grandchildren I realized when they go to church they hear the same words. And…their Mama

says words that help them understand how life works.

Some words are just important that way. We need to say them often. Personally I think God likes it when

we learn those words and we repeat them. I haven’t ever counted how many years those words have

been said on earth, but it’s a really really long time.   

Deborah/acrazjourney.com