As I travel along the roadways, I like to look at church signs.

Not usually for the purpose of hunting something to put on my church sign, I just find it interesting seeing what others are putting out for travelers to read.

While headed up a rural highway in north Georgia last week, I noticed a church sign that said something about a meeting pertaining to the Mother Board.

Being tired from having been in a meeting in Macon all morning and then driving a good distance farther north, my mind was a little fuzzier and slower than usual, so it took a little thought before I realized that it was surely something to do with the mothers of the church—perhaps prominent ladies in some aspect of church leadership. (Every pastor should have a special place in his heart for the Godly mothers of the church. Without their love, support and efforts, many of our churches would have long gone out of existence.)

It just happened that the purpose of my trip that day was to see my mother. It was a surprise visit on her 70th birthday. I knew she would be delighted, and she was. But even though I went there to offer her something special—my presence—I found that I came away with far more than I had to offer her. I received a fresh reminder that although she is 70 and I am almost 52, her self-giving motherly love remains as strong as ever.

Even though my visit was not planned and I tried to get there late enough so she would not cook supper for me, there was no stopping her—she very quickly got on the task and in a short time hot food was on the table.

When I brought my few belongings in for the night and hung them in the bedroom, without saying a word she noticed that my shirt was wrinkled. It was not long until the iron was hot and she was at work; before I knew it my shirt was pressed beautifully just like the ones she prepared for me when I was in ROTC in high school (except, thankfully, without starch!).

But there was more!

I needed to leave early the next morning, but again, her preacher son was not leaving without a hot breakfast. Before I could get dressed she already had sausage, biscuits, grits and eggs waiting on me.

I did not go to my parents’ house expecting any of those things, but neither was I surprised by everything my mother did, because I know the kind of passion and love that she has always displayed for her family—not just to me, but to all five of her children.

I am blessed beyond measure in so many ways, and included among those things is that of having been raised by Godly parents. I am old enough that sometimes I get served senior coffee at Hardee’s, yet I still have a mother and daddy who are in good health that I can visit.

And as I think about the preciousness of my mother in particular during this season of Mother’s Day, I am reminded of the words that we so often and appropriately refer to regarding Godly mothers: “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: ‘Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.’ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:28-30, NIV).