Yesterday my daughter made me a beautiful poster that said:

We love you mom!
You are the bridge that holds us.
The umbrella that shelters us.
The river that carries us towards adulthood.

It was a special moment of thanks given to me by my children. And I appreciate their appreciation! However, for every one time they recognize with thankfulness my service or sacrifice, there are nine other times, being children, they don’t see or can’t understand it.

That is why it is so important, as I reflect on this Mother’s Day weekend:

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Colossians 3:23-24

Sometimes I miss the old days when I worked in the business world and got a pat on the back, or a bonus on my paycheck for a job well done. It can be addictive, the praise of men or the money in your pocket--the tangible reward for work done well. Yet, in all things, as Christians, our efforts can carry eternal significance if we do it working as unto the Lord. Whether anyone notices or not. Whether it turns out they way we want. Whether it seems trivial or repetitive.

How I Came Up With the Design

This work of art was commissioned by @frugallady, as mentioned in her post here. I’m thankful for her encouragement and idea to create this word art. It's such a pleasure to work with fellow Steemians!

In this design, I wanted the words “work heartily” to stand out the most, as that is a key concept within the verse. Knowing, we are working for the Lord, we put our heart into whatever we are doing and do it with all our might...that is, when our focus is where it should be.

I chose the floral background as a decorative element that hints at the beauty of doing work unto the Lord. And, practically speaking, it is normally women who try to post verses like this around their home, as they are usually the ones decorating. The floral elements were selected with that fact in mind. Finally, each flower was carefully placed and replicated to create a balanced frame for the bible verse.

FREE Wallpaper!

A special thanks to @negativer for the idea to include free desktop wallpaper in my posts. My laptop screen is something I--and likely, you--face every day and is a great place to include some timely encouragement. Hope you enjoy. Click here for the high-res version.

Recent Inspirational Art in my Series

Great is Thy Faithfulness – Inspirational ORIGINAL ART #22
Store Up Treasures in Heaven – Inspirational ORIGINAL ART #23
Fear Not! – Inspirational ORIGINAL ART #24
No longer two, but one flesh – Inspirational ORIGINAL ART #25
All things work together – Inspirational ORIGINAL ART #26

Feedback

Do you like posting encouraging quotes and verses in your home? If you have a favorite quote or verse, I’d be happy to design it for you. Just post it in the replies below. To see more of my inspirational art, click here.

I hope this art provides some encouragement for you today. @allforthegood