May is a month where honoring special people seems to be the theme of the month. It is truly a diverse group of people that we honor this month, but all of them are worthy of mention and honor.
Early in the month we honor our mothers on Mother’s Day. The Bible tells us to “honor your father and mother, that your days may be long on the earth.” For most of us, thinking about our moms brings joy to our hearts. Mom was the one who was there for us in the earliest days of our lives. Most of our fondest memories of our childhood revolve around mom baking cookies, reading stories to us, playing games with us, or just usually being there for us when we needed someone to talk to.
For many of us, it was mom’s prayers that kept us going, kept us safe and ultimately brought us to Christ. Biblically, dad may be the Spiritual head of the family, but mom is usually the prayer warrior that intercedes for the family with God. If you can visit your mom on Mother’s Day, by all means do it. If you can’t visit her, call her and let her know how special she has al­ways been in your life. If your mom is no longer alive, remember her and say a prayer, thanking God for giving you just the right mom for what He had in store for your life.

After Mother’s Day, we honor our graduates, from high school and from college. What an accomplishment it is to complete a big phase of your education, either high school or college. This is a time when our young people are forced to think about the next stage of their lives, and what they will do with themselves in their adult years.
I want to challenge all of our graduates to think about the gifts, talents, and education God has provided for them at this time in their lives. Graduates, will you settle for what life throws at you, or will you pursue God’s best for your lives. As you use the gifts, talents and education that God has blessed you with to this point in your lives to become the special people He cre­ated you to be, you will find joy you never knew you could find, and blessings that will thrill and surprise you.
Finally, we finish the month of May with the Memorial Day weekend. This is so much more than just the unofficial beginning of summer. This is a time for us to remember those who have paid the ultimate price to protect and guarantee the freedom we enjoy in this wonderful country. When I was a child, the Boy Scouts would partner with the VFW each year and go to the cemetery and place small American flags on the graves of all the veterans buried there.
In recent years, I have encouraged the people of the church to not only remember the veterans who bought our freedom, but to also remember the special people in their lives who made some big sacrifices so that they may have all that they enjoy today. This would include special friends, mentors, pastors, coaches, teachers and others who helped to guide, direct and educate you so that you may be the man or woman you are today.
When God created Adam in the Garden of Eden, He looked down from heaven and said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” He has always provided family, friends and special people in our lives to love us, to guide us, and to help mold us into the people we are today. We really do need each other!
May God bless you this month as you honor all the special people God has used to make this world a better place for you to live, work, play, and enjoy. Be a blessing to others as you honor them and watch how God will bring special blessing into your life.