“Honor thy father and mother; which is the fi rst commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” Ephesians 6:2-3 (KJV)
The Bible is full of God’s wonderful promises for us to obey and reap His blessings. Exodus 20:12 is another scripture that instructs us to honor our parents—with a similar promise. For the most part, it was natural for me to love and honor my parents. But there was a time in my life I struggled, as I wanted to go my own way. It began when I left home to attend residential school and later, high school.
This is where I was exposed to ungodliness. I believe it was the prayers of my parents that kept me alive. After high school I made the decision to follow the Lord, and it was a blessing to be a part of a Bible- believing church where I was discipled. Living out God’s Word became more meaningful, and I was still guided by my Christian parents, as our relationship became God based.
Moving forward, my parents reached their time to retire, and I became the main caregiver. It was both an honor and the most challenging task to fulfi ll until they both succumbed to illnesses. My mother was 84 years old when she died of heart failure, and my father was 86 when he died of cancer. It is never easy to watch loved ones suffer, but the quality time we spent together outweighs the pain. I will forever treasure the memories of my time with them.
Today, I thank my heavenly Father for the opportunity and strength He gave to be a part of honoring my parents. He is faithful, and He will always fulfi l His promises written in His Word. In my role as a mental health counselor, I get to encourage others to do their best when given the opportunity to look after their parents. Truly it is an honor.
– Liz Beardy
Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.
Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org