Read a Mississippi State Bulldogs KIDS Excerpt

Read John 19:25-27..

"Jesus’ mother, Mary, stood near his cross.”

Peria and John Jerry didn’t have time for football — and then their mother stepped in.

On their Mississippi farm, the brothers had to feed the horses and the goats, bring in the hay, gather the eggs, and clean the barnyards. There was no time for something as useless as sports.

But Mama Jerry took over the chores to free the boys for football. Every night when Dad came home, he found the checklist for the chores complete. “While I was cutting the grass, I would go in and out of the house cooking,” mama said.

Meanwhile, Peria and John were becoming stars. Once they entered high school, though, their secret came out. Dad didn’t mind then.

The boys grew big, strong, and tough from all that work that included tossing hay bales and wrestling pigs in the mud. They would laugh and get right up even when the wild horses they rode threw them into barbed wire.

They went on to star for the Rebels. Peria was an All-American defensive tackle drafted by the pros in 2009. John was an offensive guard who went to the NFL in 2010. And it all started because of their mama.

Mamas do a lot for their kids, and they do it all out of love. Even when your mama tells you to do something you don’t want to, she has a good reason. It’s usually for your good.

Think about Jesus’ mama for a minute. She loved her boy no matter what. When Mary stood near the cross, she was showing both love and courage. No matter how wrong it was, Jesus was condemned as an enemy of the Roman Empire. She could have been, too.

Love your mama like she loves you.

Make a list of the things your mama did for you today. Did you thank her?

Do you thank God for her?