“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

The Ten Commandments are straightforward. Do this, don’t do that. A nice listing, one instruction for every digit on our hands. And they have always made sense to me. All but one - “Honor your father and your mother.” That one is hard. Not for the reasons you may be thinking. Of course, we should show respect and care for our fathers and mothers. We should love them, be grateful to them and for them. And when we are adults and they are in their waning years, we see to their well-being.

But what about when your father and mother weren’t there for you? What then? I was raised by an incredible, loving woman who I called Mama. But she did not birth me, she was my great-aunt and my father and mother dropped me off at her house when I was 18-months old. My father was a part of my life and I grew to understand the hard decision he made. My mother, she wasn’t around much at all, and I found out in April, via Facebook, that she had passed away.

So, how can those of us in situations where father and mother are not the shining examples that scripture would hope for follow this Commandment? I do not believe that God has left us without fathers and mothers. Rather God places people in our paths to be our fathers and mothers. Definitely God placed my great-aunt in that role! But God also placed teachers, mentors, pastors, and a village of others in my path. God knew who was needed, and when. These are my fathers and mothers. I respect them all, I love them all, and I honor them all.