Radiance For a Reason: Mother's Day Edition

The Christian Caring Center was founded in 1983, in the month of April. The ministry of the Christian Caring Center has been to feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the naked, be a friend and confidant to the friendless, and to take care of the elder, the widow, the children, the disabled, and the marginalized of society. The main goal of the Christian Caring Center is the evangelism of the gospel of Jesus, called the Christ. It is their sincere goal that all come to know the truth of Jesus and the message of hope, love, salvation, and redemption that He brings to the world. They accomplish this through the provision of essential needs and services for the communities of Burlington County, NJ. We help them to help themselves, and in so doing, we create a positive conduit to the heart and mind of man by which we can share the love of Jesus as Jesus has ministered and operated in our lives. We come to the vulnerable, and we make ourselves vulnerable so that together we can join under the anointing that is Jesus and become one in purpose, power, and prosperity. 

The purpose of this event is to honor Jesus the Christ in the person of our daily sheroes—the mothers who bore us, the mothers who raised us, who nurture us, protect us, teach us, and love us unconditionally, which is the love of God. The mothers who risk life and limb, who go without many times to make sure that we survive and that we thrive. The mothers who stay up late at night praying for our souls, stretched out before the altar of God in the name of Christ to plead for our lives and ask that we be allowed to live and not die. The mothers who visit the hospitals, the prisons, and who send care packages to our brothers and sisters in the military. The mothers who take us to school and show us how to do the work once we come home, and even when they themselves do not possess the knowledge of the subject at hand, they will find out for us, with us, grow and learn with us to ensure that we grow and learn. The mothers who tend to our ills and heal our wounds. The mothers who sacrifice so much to put a hot meal on the table. The mothers who, even in their addiction, still put their children first, even if that means placing them in the custody and care of another better able to tend to them in the moment.

My mother used to say, “You never miss the water till the well runs dry.” My mom is gone home to God now, and man, do I miss the water by which she showered me and helped me to grow. A mother is perhaps the most sacred and precious gift that God can give to anyone. You only get one, and we are commanded to honor her—and our father, of course—so that our days may be long in the land that the Lord our God gives to us. “I’ll always love my mama; she’s my baby girl. I’ll always love my mama; she brought me into this world.” No truer words have ever been spoken. Looking at the love of God and considering the love of a mother, we see that they are the same. A mother loves like God. It is why she abandons all other things and kneels at the feet of the Almighty. A mother’s love is why we have this event, and this is the first in what will become an annual celebration.

This year, a mother’s love will help us raise money for the Christian Caring Center. That money will be used by the Christian Caring Center for its very necessary and ambitious housing vision for the homeless of Burlington County, NJ. The Christian Caring Center has partnered with the founders of the Eden Village Tiny Homes program, which provides truly affordable and decent housing to the chronically homeless. It started in Springfield, MO, and is now gaining great traction and becoming a reality in and across the United States. Churches, communities, and businesses are working together to beat back the condition of homelessness. A mother’s love fosters such strong action to such a dire circumstance. A mother’s love is what drives us to help our brothers and sisters in need. A mother’s love calms us and gives us stability in the midst of chaos. A mother’s love is why we do what we do. It is that same love that God has and showers us with daily, and again, it is the driving force for why we do what we do. Not money, not accolades, not fame, but the love of God—the love of Mom—a love we know because it has been ever-present, and we have been blessed and sustained by it.

Today, I ask you to join us in celebrating mothers, in celebrating the love of God in Jesus, whom we call Christ, and in helping to uplift our fallen brothers and sisters. Help us to restore the family to its true place in God’s kingdom. Our goal is humble—$5,000—but we believe that for the love of Mom, for the love of God, and for the love of our brothers and sisters, we will surpass our humble goals. Give what you can. Sow the seed that will reap a harvest for God. Show the love of Mother and God that has been shown to you, that has sustained you. Show the love that will elevate your brothers and sisters.